It Began With a Lie
by Topsy Krett Cullen
Summary: Bella, ditching her cheating husband, sets out on a new adventure with new friends. What is waiting for our girl? Lets find out together shall we? Rated M for future lemons :
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the storyline. All characters belong to the wonderfully talented Stephanie Meyers.

This is my first story. I have read lots, reviewed many, and have decided to try my hand at writing. (My penmane previously was Trysh. I decided to change it when I made the decision to publish my little story ;) ) I am going to try to keep up a regular updating schedule, usually once a week (barring writer's block when my muse is PMS'in lol)

Thank you so much to my wonderful beta, bethviolet, for encouraging me to continue. If it was not for my family and friends, this would have sat in my mind for much longer.

I appreciate all reviews, and will do my best to respond to them.

And now...on with the story. I hope you enjoy it!

It Began With a Lie

Chapter 1

Isabella sat at her vanity table in her bedroom brushing her long mahogany locks. Her husband should be home soon and she was planning what she hoped would be a surprise. She looked at her reflection critically, making sure her makeup, while minimal, was perfect; her soft hair lay against her back, curling slightly at the ends. She had a beautiful midnight blue, knee length dress. Even though the dress was conservative, it made her feel very feminine. She had decided to go barefoot since she had worn her heels all day at work. It was her home after all, and she deserved to be comfortable.

Once Bella was satisfied with her appearance, she decided to lay the dinner table. A silver candelabra, a wedding gift from a relative of her husband's, already sat in the middle of the table waiting to be lit. She took out her best china and silverware and laid them out. Dinner started with a simple spinach salad with nuts and berries, followed by Chicken Cordon Bleu with roasted asparagus, and rice pilaf. Dessert was his favorite, chocolate cheesecake with sliced strawberries on top. A bottle of Prosecco sat chilling in an ice bucket next to the table, and the wine glasses from their wedding were the finishing touch.

Bella had hoped that this intimate setting would put a bit of spark back in their relationship. Lately, with work taking up a lot of their time, their love life had taken the back burner. Both of them were very ambitious, trying hard to get ahead while they were young. Bella was a proof reader at Trebled Clef Publishing House, trying to make her way up the ranks. She loved reading the manuscripts that were submitted (she had to proof read them and weed through them before sending them to the editors for final approval). Even if the stories weren't that great, Bella would read them until she was finished. The things that went through a person's mind! These were the deepest desires and dreams of these people. She owed it to them to give it her all. Her work was impeccable, and her boss loved her. She was fair, and that got her farther with her co-workers than some of the ass kissing that took place there. The love of her life, he was hard at work trying to prove himself at Cullen & Cullen. They were a prestigious law firm, handling mostly family law. Their clientele consisted of the most respectful families in the Chicago area.

Bella had grown up in a small town in Washington. Forks. It was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone and they ALL knew everyone's business. That style of life wasn't what Bella wanted. She loved her hometown, but she longed to belong to something bigger. And the only big thing in Forks was the gossip mill.

She studied hard, and won a free ride to Washington State University; UDub. She majored in English and minored in music, having always found music to be the words of the soul. She played the piano and after her most stressful days at work, finding that she could lose herself in the notes; daydreaming about what she'd read that day. Her only other hobby to speak of was reading. Even though she read all day, she could find solace in the classics. When they had looked at this house, Bella was immediately sold, primarily on the fact that there was a library with a huge fireplace. She spent many nights curled up with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book, while her husband worked late on his cases.

Bella and her husband met shortly after graduating college. She had been out running, and he had literally bowled her over while horsing around with his friends, tossing the football back and forth. He was running backwards and since Bella had her earphones in, she couldn't hear him approaching. He knocked her over and then swept her off her feet. They were married a year later, just before moving to Chicago. They have been married for close to 3 years (in December), supporting each other as they both tried to establish their careers. Bella was adamant about that. Career first, followed by family. Her parents had her young, and they were not prepared for it. Bella's mother, Renee, was a college student, and her father, Charlie, had just graduated from the police academy, as per his grandfather's request. They were both happy, free spirited people, neither prepared for the responsibility of having a child.

Charlie decided to apply to the local police department, while Renee stayed home with Bella. Soon, Charlie began to change. The job made him jaded. Even though Forks was a small town, seeing what crime did to the victims and their families not to mention the offender's families took its toll on the young man. Renee, having spent all her time with a young Bella, kept her free spirit. She reveled in it! It wasn't too long before the arguing started. Renee wanted more from her life, she hated Forks and how wet and overcast it was! She longed for the sun, for warmth, and the ability to come and go as she pleased. Charlie started taking over the care of Bella as well as trying to support his young family. He was finding more and more that Renee was dropping Bella off with their elderly neighbor; taking off for parts unknown. She would return home late at night, once Bella was in bed, secretive smile in place. One night, when Bella was 2, Charlie came home once again to his elderly neighbor watching his little girl, Renee nowhere to be found. He had finally reached the end of his rope. He was telling her tonight that this could not continue any longer.

As he was getting Bella ready for bed, he found it strange that Renee's hair brush was not in its regular place. She used to brush Bella's hair for hours, and always had it in the same place so it could be found at a moment's notice. He went into their bedroom to see if it was on her dresser bureau, only to find that it was completely cleaned off. Panicking, he pulled open the drawers; empty. Her side of the walk-in closet; empty. Her shoes were gone too. He went into the kitchen to find a note pinned to the fridge. It was not a long note, just enough to say she had had enough and was running off with a "new friend". Renee was gone, leaving Charlie alone to care for a 2 year old Bella.

Once Bella was in bed for the night, Charlie sat on the porch, on the top step; his forehead resting in his hands. He had no idea what to do! He was trying his best to take care of his family. He needed help. He didn't know who to call, where to go. He had to work. Bella deserved the best upbringing he could afford. He sat staring off into space for a long time, trying to figure out the best path to take. Finally, he decided to give his friends Harry and Sue Clearwater a call. He asked if he could possibly drop Bella off in the morning while he went to work. He promised he would find more suitable arrangements, but Sue wouldn't hear of it. They would take care of Bella whenever Charlie worked, and as a cop, there were night shifts involved too. They were his best friends.

The next step was filing abandonment charges against Renee. Since she didn't believe in marriage, that was one mess he could avoid. Unsurprisingly, Renee did not contest Charlie getting full custody of Bella. Even if she had shown up for the hearing, he would have refused visitation on the grounds that she would constantly leave Bella with a neighbor while doing whatever she pleased. Once that was taken care of, it was just Charlie and Bella. The Clearwaters became an extended part of her family and she loved them dearly. Their children were a couple of years younger than Bella, but she loved them like a sibling. She had a huge cheering section when she graduated high school, and they were just as proud of Bella as they would be their own son and daughter.

Even though Bella had a loving family, she did not want the same thing that happened with her to happen to their children. She waited. She wanted to be prepared. Now it seemed that her patience was finally paying off. She had just been promoted, and would have the luxury of working from home most days if she chose. She was no longer a proof reader, reading all manuscripts and then passing them along. She was now a junior editor! She was brought into the office as soon as she arrived at work and was told that she had impressed them with her attention to detail and her commitment to the company. Jane, one of the junior editors she was close with, was moving back home to Michigan to be with her ailing mother. Although Bella's heart went out to Jane, she couldn't help but be excited.

Bella was one step closer to her ultimate goal. She wanted both a career and a family. Since she had the freedom to work home, she could take care of their children and still earn an income at the same time. She hadn't really wanted for anything when she was younger, but she wanted better for her children. This was the real meaning behind this romantic evening. She was going to sit down and talk to her husband about their options now that this door had been opened.

At 6:30, she was glancing at her watch and was beginning to wonder where he was. He was always home by 5:45 at the latest. She hadn't received any texts or calls from him saying he would be late. Normally, she worked until 6:00, but they had let her leave a little earlier to celebrate her hard work. She called and it rang until his answering machine kicked in. Now she was worried. She called his office, and it went through to their answering service. Everyone was gone for the evening. She sent numerous texts, and even called his best friend. He didn't answer either. By 7:00, the ice had melted, dinner was dry and ruined, and the cheese cake was a puddle of goo.

Finally her phone rang at 7:15. She jumped to answer it, noticing it was her husband's number.

"Jake. Where are you? Are you ok?" She babbled into the phone, relieved that he was safe.

"Jake. Jake. Are you there?" She shouted. "JAKE!"

Over the line was the most horrible thing she'd ever heard. Her husband somehow had pocket called her.

"Oh Vicky! You feel so good baby!"

Bella's world crashed around her feet.

End Note:

Show of hands, who thought she was already married to Edward? ;) I apologize if this chapter was kinda "smooshed" together. I tried FOREVER to add the extra spaces that were on my original copy. I'm not sure what happened! If I can figure it out, I will change it at a later date.


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again everyone! I decided to give you a little treat and post my 2nd chapter today instead of making you wait a week. Wasn't that nice of me? Well...to be honest, I have an ulterior motive. I was hoping that if I gave you the next instalment early, that I could get a few more reviews? What do you guys think? Is it a deal? Ok.

Now...who thought I had her already married to Edward? Can I get a show of hands? Ok, I'll tell you a little something about me; I never have my characters cheat on their spouse/partner...etc. And never would bella cheat on Edward or vice versa.

I already have new chapters in the works, and rest assured I will finish this story. I am planning on an update day of Sunday.

Mandatory Disclaimer: I own nothing but my Twilight books, the movies, and a huge jigsaw puzzle of Edward Cullen ;)

I want to thank my beta, bethviolet once again for all her help :) Thanks bunches!

Here we go, 2nd chapter. Let's see what Bella is feeling :) See you at the bottom.

Chapter 2

Bella flopped down in her chair, staring at the phone and praying that this was a sick practical joke. She finally ended the call, not having the stomach to hear anymore.

'_How dare he?' _Bella fumed. Then her thoughts turned darker.

'_I want to find him and kick his fucking ass! No! I want to punch him in the balls! No! I want to kick his ass THEN punch him in the balls!'_

Bella had a stroke of genius right then. She had been working long hours, and Jake "worried" about her, so he activated the find my iPhone app. Bella rushed to her iPad and turned it on. Within minutes she found that Jake was within fifteen feet of his office building. Gathering her courage, she walked out to her car, directing herself towards the Cullen law offices. She checked her iPad periodically checking his location; since it hadn't changed, she allowed her mind to wander back to see if there was something she had missed. The only thing she could think of was a high profile case he said he was working on that kept him at work later than usual some nights. But he said they were wrapping it up. She wondered if he added the app to her phone more to keep tabs on her. She wondered what else he was hiding; what else he was lying about.

When she parked her car in front of the offices, she took a deep breath, not quite sure how to proceed.

'_What do I do? How do I get in there? What will I find? What will happen afterwards?'_

All of these thoughts flew through her mind so far, she began to feel dizzy. She laid her head down on the steering wheel willing herself to find the strength to do what needed to be done. She had never been a coward before, but facing this, her whole life could change in an instant.

'_Who am I kidding? It's already changed! Even if I don't catch him in the act, the trust is shattered, on both our parts. If he did cheat, our marriage is over. If he didn't cheat, I'll be watching him, and he will surely get tired of it.'_

She banged her forehead on the wheel, knowing she had to do this. She turned her head towards her door to reach for the handle when she noticed Jake's car sitting in the staff parking lot across the street.

'_Well, at least he's here,' _she thought.

Getting out of her car and squaring her shoulders, she walked toward the main door hoping there was a door man on duty that could help her. Instead of a door man or security guard, there was a tall man striding toward the door from the inside. Bella quickened her steps trying to reach him in case he got through the door before she got there and the door locked behind him. She reached the door just as he was opening it.

"Excuse me," she called out. The man's head jerked around to see who was there.

"Sorry to have startled you, but I was hoping you could help me." She looked into his eyes, hoping he would see that she truly needed his aid. She was shocked to find his eyes were the most glorious shade of emerald green! His eyelashes were incredibly long, and Bella was sure a woman would kill for them. His hair was in wild disarray; almost like he'd had a stressful day and spent most of it running his fingers through it. He was quite tall, but for Bella who was only 5'2", a lot of people seemed tall. But this man had to be pushing 6"3' at least.

He seemed to be staring back at her, so she tried again.

"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but could you please help me find my husband? He works here and was due home hours ago. I know he's been working on a big case, so I just wanted to check on him. Maybe see if he wanted to grab a bite to eat before getting back to work." She smiled at the man, hoping to sweet talk her way through this. There was no way she wanted to air her dirty laundry out in front of him.

This seemed to snap him out of his trance. He blinked his eyes a couple of times and gave his head a little shake.

"I'm sorry. You did startle me. I wasn't expecting anyone to be here this time." He had such a soft voice, almost like liquid honey. "Certainly I'll help you; although all of the lawyers have gone home already. Who did you say your husband is?" He held the door open for her, ushering her inside.

When he touched the small of her back to steer her, there was a bit of a static shock. Bella jumped a bit and looked up at the man. He had a smirk on his face while he apologized. Now that they were inside where it was lighter, she noticed his hair was a very unique color. Not quite brown and not quite red. It seemed to have a coppery look to it. It suited him perfectly.

"My husband is Jacob Black," she answered looking around at the beautiful lobby; anywhere else but at him. She felt guilty staring at this man while he was trying to help her.

He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her strangely. He cocked his head to the side as if to figure out a puzzle and put his fingers over his mouth.

"Umm...I really hate to be the bearer of bad news Mrs. Black, but Jacob is NOT a lawyer at this firm. He works in the mail room. Not only that, but he has never mentioned that he is married."

"EXCUSE ME?" Bella felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach. She doubled over as a wave of nausea and dizziness swept over her.

"We have been married for almost 3 years! I don't understand what the fuck is going on!" Bella was past trying to remain calm. She felt horrible hauling this stranger into her problems, but only he could lead her in the right direction. The man put his hand on her arm in a show of support.

"I'm sorry..." he hinted for her name.

"Bella." She stated. She just wanted answers at this point.

"Since you know more about my husband that I obviously do, I'll let you know the real reason I'm here. I had a romantic evening planned as I got some great news today. We had been working so hard that I thought we could celebrate. After waiting for hours, and trying his cell phone and his best friend's phone, I was getting ready to call the hospitals to find out if there had been an accident. All of a sudden my phone rang and it was Jake's number. I picked up right away, demanding to know if he was okay. All I heard was moaning a woman's name. Vicky." She felt sick all over again.

Understanding dawned in the man's eyes and he grabbed her hand and led her to the elevator.

'_There is that static shock again.' _Bella mused, even though it was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment.

"Are you okay to be in this elevator? If not, we can sit down until you feel better. There are too many stairs to climb." He looked down at her in concern. He still held her hand close to him, almost like he didn't want to let it go.

"I'm fine. Just nervous." Bella murmured. "I'm sorry, but what is your name?" She asked the stranger.

"I'm sorry; I'm Edward, Edward Cullen."

Bella closed her eyes in humiliation.

'_Great. Just fucking GREAT!" _

He seemed to look past her humiliation, only concerning himself with helping her solve her mystery.

"Bella, look," he sighed. "I only want to help you. I'll lead you in the right direction and then let you take care of this in peace. I'll go to another room. I know this is tearing you apart, and I know from experience that this isn't something you want everyone to know about." He pressed the button for the basement, where Bella assumed the mail room was. THE FUCKING MAIL ROOM!

'_How in the hell did he get away with this? How the hell were they still able to afford where they lived? How the fuck did this happen?_

These were the things that went through Bella's mind as Edward watched her in the elevator.

Not knowing where to go, she let Edward lead the way out. He again reached out and took her hand. He led her down different hallways, around corners, finally stopping in front of a big glass door. Only the lights in the back of the room were on, leaving the front of the room in semi-darkness.

Edward opened the door, and Bella felt like hiding behind him. As soon as the door was opened, they heard the soft sounds of a woman moaning. Edward watched Bella as she swallowed hard.

'_This poor girl,' _he thought. '_What a shame. Her "husband" is a fucking douche. Should I tell her that Vicky is not the first? That he has left here with many women on his arm?' _Edward wondered as they slowly walked forward. He decided against it. Maybe the douche would tell her himself. If not, I will tell her tomorrow. There was no way he wasn't going to find a way to contact her.

'_Later Edward!' _he chastised himself. She is going through enough. But there was something about her that could not let go.

They ventured further into the room, following the light. Finally turning the last corner, Bella saw her husband of almost 3 years buried face first in between the legs of another woman. Her head thrown back in ecstasy!

Bella slapped her hand over her mouth trying to keep the cry of betrayal in, but apparently she failed since the couple froze for a moment before looking in Bella's woman, Vicky, scrambled for her clothes trying to cover up. Jake, trying to look innocent, stood up, and started walking towards Bella. Thank GOD he had his boxers on! That was something Bella really didn't want to see right now.

"Bella...baby. What are you doing here?" he asked with a small smile on his face.

'_How dare he fucking smile at me!'_ Bella inwardly seethed.

"How's the "case" coming Jake? Did you forget you have a wife sitting at home-"she was cut off abruptly.

"WIFE? YOU'RE FUCKING MARRIED?" The woman screeched. So apparently she was part of the "I didn't know Jake was married" club. She looked at Bella with shame in her eyes as she hurried to put on her clothes on properly.

"Vicky, baby...let me explain." He cajoled. He didn't seem to have an ounce of shame!

"Explain what Jake...Baby? Explain how you told me you were a fucking lawyer? Explain the "big cases" you were working on? Explain how you work in the fucking MAIL ROOM? Explain how NO ONE in this firm knew you were married? Explain why you were tonsils deep inside her? Explain Jake...please do!" Bella was done!

"Bella, I-I..," Jake stammered.

'_Good! Let him sweat a bit! My heart is being torn out here!' _Bella's inner voice screamed.

"Are you fucking serious? We've been married for almost 3 years asshole! We were starting to plan for CHILDREN and all you have to say is "I-I-I?" Bella yelled at her husband. "How dare you do this to me? I'll have your stuff packed within the next hour. You aren't coming home to me!"

As Bella tried to turn and walk away, Jake advanced and grabbed her upper arms and shook her lightly.

"Listen to me little girl," Jake ground out. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but obviously you don't know me all that well. I AM coming home to you tonight. This is just a bit of fun. You are constantly at work and a man has needs. You weren't honoring your vows. You know; love, honor and cherish." He smiled condescendingly as if scolding a child.

"You speak of love, honor and cherish! How the hell are you honoring YOUR vows by committing adultery?I'm done Jake; we're done!" Bella felt a sense of liberation saying this.

Jake, having never seen Bella so mad, changed his tactics. "Bella, baby, it's not what you think. She came on to me. I swear. You believe me right? You know I love you." He leaned down to look into her eyes, trying to give her a chaste kiss.

Bella jerked away from him. "Are you kidding me Jake? Are you aware of where your mouth just was! I am NOT kissing you now, or ever again. No I do not believe you. You pocket called me," she pulled out her phone and turned it to show him. "I heard you. I heard you tell her how much you were enjoying it. You were into this as much as she was. Good-bye Jake." She shrugged his hands off her arms, and turned back towards the door.

True to his word, Edward remained outside, hearing, but not watching her humiliation. His heart was breaking for the poor girl. She didn't seem to know what a douche she married. Edward decided then and there to help the poor girl, and would tell her as they were leaving about the security surveillance in all of the offices. There was a sense of vulnerability about her that made Edward want to hold her close and shield her from the bad things in the world.

"One last question Jake." Bella paused to with her hand on the door knob. "What about your job, your career? How could we afford to live the way we did?" she asked, afraid of the answer, but desperately needing to know.

"Well I did apply here for an entry level position as a family lawyer," he muttered, shaking his head, "but apparently this place is all about nepotism. If you aren't a Cullen, or if you're not banging a Cullen or best friends with a Cullen, you mean shit. The only reason I stayed her was it was an easy job."He boasted.

"As for how we got by, it's called credit cards Bella. Since I took care of the financial aspects, I was able to spend the money however I wanted. You know you hate shopping. It was easy to hide."

Bella was stunned speechless. The whole time Jake was spouting this bullshit, Bella stared hard at the man she's been with for the past 4 years.

_How long has this affair been going on? Has he been cheating on me the entire time? _Bella felt herself starting to shut down emotionally. She just couldn't handle any more.

Edward wasn't sure if he should make his presence known or not. He had to talk to his sister Alice since she is the senior partner, as well as his father. They couldn't have a repeat of tonight. They ran a tight ship. Since there weren't any complaints about Jake before, they hadn't looked into the closed security system before. Now they would have no choice. His family wasn't going to like this. First things first though. He had to get Bella out of here.

"Bella, how did you get in here?" Jake questioned, a puzzled look on his face.

Edward stepped forward, ending up in front of Bella.

"I let her in Black. She was actually worried about you." Edward ground out between clenched teeth. He took great pleasure in watching the younger man's face pale as he began to sweat.

"Uh-uh...Well...Mr. Cullen...I...had," Jake's explanation fizzled out. He put his hand to his forehead, knowing he was completely screwed. There was no way Cullen hadn't heard his little speech about the firm.

"I suggest you get dressed and leave for the evening. Both of you be here at nine o'clock sharp. We'll discuss this...situation then."

"Yes sir, see you then." Jake muttered.

Bella looked one last time over her shoulder at the man she'd called her husband. She shook her head and sighed, reminding him one last time, "Your things will be sitting on the doorstep in 1 hour. Good-bye Jake, I hope it was worth it." Bella hung her head, a single tear running down her cheek as she walked out the door.

Edward held out his hand to the tiny woman. She looked up at him and laid her hand in his; smiling tremulously. He felt the electric current run up his arm once again.

'_I don't understand what this feeling is...but I like it." _Edward mused.

He smiled down at Bella leading her again to the elevator. Bella didn't bother looking back, even as her husband called her name. Instead she turned to Edward, her bottom trembling as she spoke, "So, Mr. Cullen, by chance do you know a good lawyer?"

"BELLA!"

So?...how did I do? I made Jake a douche, I know, and I apologize to all of the Jacob fans out there. This is not an "angst-y" story (although they are a good read). This is a story about starting over and being strong. I love the Twilight books, but I found that Bella had such a low self image that it made my eye twitch! I want my interpretation of Bella to be strong and confident. Don't get me wrong...she will have a bit of a pity party. Who wouldn't after seeing what she did.

You know the drill, please push the little link at the bottom and leave me a review :) Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

AN: WOWZA! The reviews I've received were amazing! Many wanted you Bella to kick Jake's ass lol. I assure you that Bella is not finished just yet, but she's going to be mature about it...somewhat lol. I'm loving this story, and with the lovely bethviolet's help, it's slowly coming together

So..here's the next chapter ;) Enjoy!

Chapter 3

As the elevator doors closed, Edward turned to Bella.

"Absolutely, Bella. If you need our help, just ask." He smiled down at her tear streaked face. He then reached inside his jacket to the hidden pocket, pulling out a rectangular piece of paper and a pen. After writing something down, he handed it to Bella.

"Take my business card Bella. I took the liberty of putting my cell phone number on here as well; in case you need anything. I'm sorry for what you've gone though tonight." He reached in another pocket and pulled out a small package of facial tissues. As he looked at her he realized that she was heartbreakingly beautiful. The tears, red eyes and runny nose did nothing to change that. Edward once again felt the strong desire to shield the petite woman, who in a matter of minutes had managed to snag all of his attention. He wanted to be her hero. He wanted her to turn to him when she needed...well...anything!

Edward felt lately that he had been just coasting through his life. He hadn't dated in over a year. He didn't feel the need to. He had a wonderful family, and he was at the point in his life where casual dating didn't appeal to him at all. He wanted a relationship like his mother and father had. After over 30 years of marriage, they still acted like newlyweds and Edward loved that they were still so affectionate with each other. He would settle for nothing less than a strong, loving relationship like that.

Three years ago, Edward thought he had met the love of his life. Heidi. How wrong he was. He loved her, but there was no room in her life for anyone but herself. She hid who she was well enough in the beginning, but once she became comfortable, her true colors started showing through. She was petty and mean; usually the first to spread any kind of vicious gossip. She was self centered; never thinking of anyone but herself. How they'd made it 18 months was a mystery to him. When Edward's sister was in a car accident (although minor, it shook him up badly), he rushed to be at her side, while Heidi stayed at home sulking that Edward could no longer take her out for the evening. She enjoyed being on Edward's arm. His family was quite influential in Chicago. She liked the attention she received.

Edward stayed the night at the hospital with his family. Alice was released the next day after a night of observation. He had tried calling Heidi periodically throughout the evening, but it either rang through to her voicemail, or the "out of service area" message played through the line. He went home to a trashed apartment; they didn't live together, but they had keys to each others' homes. Once he saw the destruction, he set off to her house to give back her key and end this sorry excuse for a relationship. Arriving at her townhouse, he knocked on the front door; no answer. He called her phone again, with the same results as before. Since her car was in her driveway, he decided to use her key one last time. Entering the house, he found it quiet except for the drone of her television in her bedroom on the second floor. Edward couldn't explain it, but he had a very bad feeling. Calling her name, but still not receiving a response, he walked through the living room towards the stairs; dread now pouring through his veins.

He looked in the bathroom; which was situated right at the top of the stairs. There was a bath drawn, with a mat on the floor in front of the claw footed tub. He saw tiny wet footprints heading to her bedroom, almost like a bread crumb trail; he hoped it just didn't lead him to a witch. Pausing at her partially closed bedroom door, he knocked softly, calling her name. Nothing. Thinking that she may be asleep, he pushed the door open enough for him to stick his head inside. She was lying on her side facing the television.

'_She's probably ignoring me...again.' _Edward rolled his eyes. It wouldn't be the first time. He knocked and called her name again, both louder and he could hear the exasperation in his voice.

"Heidi! We need to talk! Will you stop acting like a child?" Edward was now at his wit's end.

He walked into the room, ready to finish this. He just wanted to go home and have a nap; it had been a long night.

When he tapped her shoulder, she rolled onto her back, but that was it. No other movement. Edward shook her a bit harder, his heart now thundering in his chest. Try as he might, there was nothing that could be done. He called 911 and almost instantly the house was flooded with police, firefighters, and paramedics. He accompanied the police to the local police department and explained over and over what he found; what had happened the night before with her trashing his apartment.

Finally the autopsy report came back. She had overdosed on sleeping pills. Edward was shocked! She hadn't ever mentioned that she needed sleeping pills. She never took one when they spent the night together. When her family showed up, they told Edward nothing. He had no idea why she had done what she'd done. Edward had to come to his own conclusions. He had nightmares for months. He eventually had to see a therapist. Eventually things got better, but he tended to keep to himself now. Before he'd sworn off women, he'd dated, but never allowed a second date, he never allowed himself to get close to them.

Now, in a matter of minutes, he was completely caught up in this doe-eyed beauty. She didn't have to even do anything. The electrical current that seemed to run through him whenever she was close was something he'd never felt before. Not with Heidi; or any other woman he'd dated.

'_But what does it all mean?' _Edward asked himself. _'Look at what she's going through.' _He chastised himself.

'_It won't hurt to be her friend.'_ His inner voice came back._' You can't ignore your feelings. You can't hide anymore.'_ Edward was now determined to be whatever she needed him to be.

Once Bella pocketed his business card, she put her hand on his arm.

"Thank you so much for your help Mr. Cullen. I'm sorry-"Bella was interrupted before she could finish.

"Please, call me Edward; and I'll call you Bella if that's alright," as Bella nodded her consent, Edward continued.

"Bella, there is no need to apologize to me. I'm glad I could be there for you. We are in the middle of hiring a new door man, so there would have been no other way for you to gain entrance to the offices. I am sorry for what you're going through, but I'm also very glad you were able to catch the douche-"Edward cut off, blushing. "I mean, your husband. "

Bella had to giggle a bit at Edward's embarrassment. He thought Jake was a douche. Well, so did Bella. Speaking of said "douche", she figured she now had an even longer night ahead of her.

"Edward, I really have to be going. I have some belongings to sort through, and then throw out the second story window," she chuckled. Edward shook his head; a smirk on his face.

"Did you want me to follow you? I would feel much better if I knew for sure you were safe," Edward pleaded.

'_Please...please...please...'_

"That's fine Edward. I actually really appreciate it," Bella was able to choke out before more tears ran down her cheeks. Edward wanted to reach out and brush them off her face and pull her for a big hug.

"I'll see you to your car Bella." He took her by the hand and led her to her baby. A midnight black 2011 Shelby GT500. She bought it last year as a birthday present. A big gift for herself sure, but her dad had pitched in too. She turned off the alarm and climbed inside.

"Just flash you lights when you're ready to go Edward. I'm going straight home; no pit stops." Bella alr0eady had her favorite ice cream sitting in the fridge, and a fully equipped bar if needed.

Edward walked over to his dark metallic grey 2010 Volvo SC90 Concept. His baby. His parents had gotten it for him when he made junior partner. He'd worked many long grueling hours, never once straying from his goal. He heaved a big sigh as he climbed in. He started up his car, loving the soft purring noise, and flashed his lights at Bella. Immediately she pulled away from the curb. Edward had to step a bit on the gas pedal to keep up.

'_I hope she's alright to drive.' _ This was the only thought going through his mind as he watched the car change lanes and swerve around cars.

Bella loved driving her baby.

'_If only I could get out on the open road and really fly!'_

As she drove, her mind wandered over what she had to do in the next few hours. Thank fuck it was Friday and she wouldn't be expected in her office until Monday morning. First thing she was doing when she got home was to grab all of his clothes and stuff them into garbage backs and leave them at the curb. Bella pulled out her cell phone and called directory assistance, asking for a locksmith who was open late at night. Once that call was over, she felt much better. She would have the locks changed within the hour. Next would be to pull out the financial information. She was truly afraid to look at that. She couldn't imagine a mail room clerk making anywhere near what a lawyer made (even a lawyer just starting his career).

Bella glanced at the dash, seeing that it was getting quite late. It was after 10 o'clock, and her friend Angela wouldn't be available. She and her husband, Ben had just had their daughter Katie 2 weeks ago. She didn't want to intrude on them, but she didn't want to be alone either. She would make that call when she got to her house.

All too soon, they pulled up in front of Bella's home. It wasn't a big house by any means, but they had made it into a home. She was sitting in her car, staring at the house she had shared with her husband and knew that this would never be considered home to her ever again. A knock on the driver's side window snapped her out of her thoughts.

Edward.

He was an extremely handsome man. Bella wondering if he ever felt the 'shock' that went through her whenever they touched. She climbed out of the car as he once again held his hand out to her; the shock present once again.

"Thank you for your help Edward," Bella looked up into his emerald green eyes. She felt like she could drown in them. "I greatly appreciate everything you've done for me tonight."

"Do you need anything else Bella? I can stay until a friend arrives. You really shouldn't be alone." In truth, Edward didn't want to leave, but he was also worried that Jake would show up here, trying to cause trouble as well.

"You don't have to wait here Edward. I'll be fine. There is a locksmith on his way. The locks will be changed shortly." She smiled up at the handsome man who was running his fingers through his messy hair, almost like in frustration.

"If it's alright with you Bella, I'd really feel better if I stayed until the locksmith left," he cajoled.

"Alright. You can stay; but ONLY until the locksmith leaves." She reached in her pocket for her house keys. Until the door was closed, she'd honestly forgotten the mess she'd left in her kitchen and living room; the romantic setting mocking Bella as she hung up her coat and purse.

"Sorry about the mess. I was trying to entice Jake to celebrate my promotion with me," she sighed, embarrassed.

"No worries Bella. Congratulations on your promotion!" Edward exclaimed. Bella looked at him in shock. Jake had never been that excited for her. She now figured it was because he was a mail room clerk and not a lawyer like he had claimed so often. Her career was steadily progressing as his didn't even get off the ground.

"Thank you Edward." Bella was actually quite proud of herself. She'd work hard, earning everything she'd received, but it was still nice to share your success with someone...even a stranger.

She led Edward into the kitchen, motioning for him to sit as she went to her "cleaning closet" to get some garbage bags.

"Would you like a drink or something Edward? I'm about to grab a beer and start cleaning house," she smirked at him.

"Do you have a Coors Lite?" Edward never touched a drop of alcohol if he was getting behind the wheel, but he didn't want Bella drinking alone. Also, he had no idea when the locksmith would actually be arriving.

Bella led the way again; this time ending up in the rec room. There was a fully stocked bar at one end. He watched as she walked behind it, bending down to grab two cold beers.

"Come on. This way." She jerked her head towards the stairs. "You can hold the bags open while I throw his shit into them."

Edward followed her up the stairs, admiring her form as she climbed the stairs.

'_She has beautiful legs."_

At the top of the stairs, she turned to the left, leading the way into the master bedroom. She directed Edward to a chair while she pulled open drawers. Edward opened the first bag wide, just in time for clothes to start flying. He decided that once the bags were half full, he would help her empty his drawers and closets. They were half way done when Bella's cell phone rang. It was the locksmith. He was outside. Bella went to let him in as Edward continued to fill the garbage bags.

'_Jesus, this guy has a LOT of shit!'_

Bella was back upstairs with a Rubbermaid tote and went into the ensuite bathroom. Edward could hear thumps and clanging. He stopped just for a second to peek in. He wanted to make sure she was ok. His eyebrows hit his hairline. She had the tote in the bath tub and it looked like she was playing basketball with his personal hygiene products. He couldn't help it; he burst out laughing.

Bella swung around smiling for the first time in 3 hours. She was actually enjoying herself. Too soon, that was finished.

The locksmith called upstairs; saying he was finished. Bella went downstairs to take the new key and sign the paperwork. Once the locksmith left, Bella came back upstairs and started throwing the garbage bags down the stairs. She really wanted to throw them out the window, but she figured that she would take the mature route.

She'd asked Edward to carry the Rubbermaid tote, since it weighed almost as much as she did now that it was full. She didn't want to have to scrub the stairs and the landing if she didn't have to. Once all the bags were at the curb, Bella grabbed two more beers. Handing one to Edward, she sat on her sofa; tucking her legs underneath herself.

He took the beer and sat at the other end of the sofa; making sure to give Bella the space she needed. She'd leaned her head back and sighed. Then she looked at him with a small smirk.

She started talking then. She spoke about how they'd met, how he'd swept her off her feet. She told him of how he would always surprise her with little things.

'_Things that she paid most likely for!'_ Edward fumed. She deserved so much more.

When she finally stopped talking, there were 8 empty beer bottles on the table, and neither remembered how they got there.

Bella slumped down suddenly; her forehead down to her hand, tears now streaking her face.

'_What the hell do I do next?'_

"You move forward Bella." She jerked her head up and looked at Edward. She didn't realize she'd spoken out loud.

"Jake was obviously less than worthy of your time. You deserve so much more. He took a beautiful gift and tried to destroy it." Bella had never had anyone speak to her in this manner.

"Please Bella, believe me when I say that you are a very beautiful woman. You have the world at your feet. Any man would be honored to call you his." As he was speaking, Edward leaned closer to her, reaching out to brush the tears from her face. She was unconsciously leaning in towards him as well, needing the contact. She felt so lost and alone.

Edward ran his fingers through her hair and leaned farther still, his gaze dropping to Bella's lips.

Bella unconsciously licked her lips and watched as Edward's eyes darken slightly. She'd reached out and rested her hand on his bicep. Leaning closer, her eyes fluttered shut.

Edward, shocked by his own actions, closed his eyes and sighed. His lips had barely brushed hers when a loud banging at the front door startled them apart.

"BELLA! OPEN THE GOD DAMNED DOOR! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT?"

AN: Sorry to leave it here my friends, but I need to entice you to come back and visit ;) So...what did you think? Click the little link at the bottom and leave me some love

If you haven't read "I'll Mend Your Heart", go ahead...give it a read! Written by bethviolet, it's a fun read with awesome twists and turns! Have a great week, and I'll see you next Sunday!


	4. Chapter 4

Well folks, I'm back! I have to apologize from the bottom of my heart for the delay. See...I'm not that computer savvy and I sorta deleted my chapters. I had to rewrite Chapter 4 all over again! Chapter 5 is in the works. I am hoping to get all caught up within the next week. I am blown away by your reviews and the responses I got. Thanks to bethviolet, here is my new chapter

I own many things...but unfortunately Twilight and Edward aren't them. I just get to get them to dance to my tune for a while!

Bella and Edward sprang apart and looked at each other, both wearing a look of shock.

'_I can't believe I almost kissed him!' _Bella thought, still stunned at her behavior.

Her next thought was, _'I better answer the door before the neighbors call the police.'_

As she walked towards her front door, where her idiot husband was still yelling and knocking, Bella turned to look at Edward behind her. He was watching her with wary look, like he was afraid of what was going to happen.

She opened the door, keeping the chain lock in place. No way was she going to allow him in.

"What do you want Jake," she asked. Bella was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She looked at her husband. He looked crazed. His shirt was buttoned wrong; his tie was long gone as was his jacket. His pants were a mess of wrinkles. What really made her stop and stare was the look on his face. He actually looked put out. As if he was the one who had been wronged. His eyes were red rimmed and looked blood shot and you could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"What does it look like Bella," Jake growled. All he wanted was to sleep in his bed. He wanted to put this behind them. They could work it out. They always did. "I want to come in and go to bed. I'm tired and I have to work in the morning."

"Excuse me?" Bella thought for sure she had misheard him. There was a huge pile of garbage bags outside this door. He couldn't have missed them.

"Bella, drop the bullshit! I said I was sorry. Now let me in!" He tried to push the door open, but the chain was holding strong.

"Jake, you are insane if you think I'm letting you in here! I just found you screwing around with another woman. We. Are. Done! Finished! Over!" By the time Bella was done, she was yelling.

Edward sat on her sofa, watching her. He was worried that Jake would over power her and get inside. He decided to stand behind the door, just in case. As he made his way over, he could see Bella trembling. He wasn't sure whether it was in fear or anger. He had no problem hearing both sides of the conversation.

"Bella, baby, you know it was just a mistake. I love you! I know I was weak, but...I...needed to feel like a man," he cajoled. "I had to lie about my job, you made more money than I did. I felt emasculated. It was like you didn't need me anymore. I needed to feel needed. When Vicki came on to me, I told her I was married. I told her that I wouldn't cheat on my wife. But...she said those magic words. 'I need you.' That was it. I crumbled. I'm only human Bella. I made a mistake."

Jake was sure he'd gotten through to his wife. He couldn't fuck this up any more than he already had. It was true that Bella made more money than he did. He wasn't sure what was going to happen tomorrow with his job, so he had to make sure that Bella would continue to take care of him. He looked at his wife the whole time. She was looking at the ground, thinking. He knew that if he worded it just right, that she would think this was her fault.

Just as he started smiling to himself, Bella lifted her head and looked at him with a cold look on her face. It was like she was carved in stone.

"Jake, this is not MY fault. You chose to sleep with Vicki. You chose to lie about your job. You chose to hide it for so long. You chose not to talk to me about how you were feeling. You, not me. YOU!" It felt liberating getting this off her chest. As she ranted, Jake dropped to his knees, tears sliding down his face. "Take these rings. They were supposed to be a symbol of your love. You don't love me or else you wouldn't have cheated on me. Get out of my sight Jake. You make me sick!" She threw the rings hard, making them fly over Jake's head and hit the walkway. Jake yelped trying to grab at them as they rolled towards the street.

Bella smirked at the irony when her wedding ring rolled onto the street and down into the storm drain.

"There Jake, go down with the rest of the rats!" She knew it was childish, but she was past caring. She slammed the door shut and relocked it after watching Jake on his hands and knees looking down into the drain.

"GOD THAT FELT SO GREAT!" Bella shouted, throwing her hands in the air.

Edward watched her with a smirk on his face. He was glad she stood up for herself. He knew he had to tell her about the other women before she went into the divorce proceedings. She had to know everything.

"Bella, I need to talk to you about something." Bella turned around with a confused look on her face.

"Edward, I will be calling your firm for representation. Although, wouldn't that be considered a conflict of interest?" Bella wasn't quite sure how to proceed. She still had to check her financial statue. "Can we wait a few minutes for our talk? I need to log on to my bank's website." Bella turned to walk down the hallway to her office.

Edward, not sure if he should follow, took a look around her home. The colors on the walls were neutral, blending together to create a warm, inviting atmosphere. He sat on her sofa, feeling a bit nervous. What had come over him earlier, when he tried to kiss her?

'_I know I'm attracted to her, but why did I try tonight?'_ Edward was mentally berating himself. He didn't want to push anything!

Bella was in her office, staring at the computer screen, trying to make sense of the numbers in front of her.

'_Our joint Visa is almost maxed out! How the hell did I miss that?' _She then clicked another area and up popped Jake's credit card.

'_Holy Shit! His is over the limit!' _She was completely stunned by this! Never had they ever gone any longer than the due date to pay everything in full! At least her charge card is safe! She never gave it to him! She was afraid to go into their main bank account. When she did look, there was only a little bit unaccounted for.

'_Thank GOD!' _Bella printed off the information from her printer. She then took exactly half of the balance on their joint credit card and paid it from their joint account. Next, she divided what the remainder was exactly down the middle as well and transferred that into her own separate bank account. She printed all of that information off too.

Bella then took out her credit card with Jake, and calling the 1-800 number on the back, she had her name removed from that account. She told them about the payment and gave them the bank confirmation number. All that was left to do, was a call to the bank. She took her bank card out and called that number as well.

'_May as well get that all taken care of,' _Bella figured. _'One less thing to worry about tomorrow.'_

Bella was curious as to why she wasn't more upset about her marriage going down the tubes. That didn't stay in her mind though. Her thoughts had turned to the handsome man in her living room.

'_Why did I try to kiss him? What would have happened had Jake not pounded on the door? Would it have gone any farther?' _Bella had all this and more running through her exhausted mind. _'I know I'm attracted to him. He's gorgeous and kind. Not to mention the little zing that goes through me every time he touches me!' _She found her was pounding just thinking about it.

'_I'll have to deal with this later. I have bigger things to deal with. Besides, he was just being nice...right? He couldn't have felt the same thing I did.' _Bella rolled her eyes, turning to leave the room with her papers.

Edward was still sitting on the sofa, eyes on the floor. When he heard enter the living room he stood up, straightening his suit jacket. He was not looking forward to this conversation.

"It's time for us to have that talk Bella," Edward said softly. "I really wish we could avoid this, but I can't see how."

Bella looked at him curiously. _'What could he possibly have to tell me,' _she really couldn't think of anything.

Edward took Bella's hand and sat on her sofa once again. He ran his hand through his messy hair, trying to figure out the easiest way possible to tell this beautiful woman that her husband was a cheating, lying douche.

"Bella, I have no idea how to say this, so I'm just going to say it straight," Edward looked up into her big brown eyes. "Vicki was not the first woman." He was worried what her reaction was going to be.

Bella tilted her head to the side. She noticed the look of worry on Edward's face. She'd never encountered that with Jake before.

"Edward, after what I saw and heard this evening, NOTHING about my husband would surprise me. I'm upset yes, but I now know that I did not know my husband at all," Bella smiled as Edward's eyes widened in disbelief. "Can you please find out more information for me? I'm going to need this for the divorce proceedings." Bella knew that she to take care of that first thing in the morning. The sooner the better in her opinion.

Edward was shocked that she wasn't more upset. He figured she would cry and scream, but, Bella surprised him yet again.

"Well, I can tell you of at least 3 others. They ended up having to quit because of his behavior. There was Tanya. She was a paralegal. She fell for him hard and fast. They went out for about a month, until Kate showed up. He dropped Tanya and she was heartbroken. She left about 7 months ago. Kate was another mail room worker. We actually caught them uhh...together...at work," Edward watched as her eyes brimmed with tears and she covered her mouth with her hand, like she was trying to keep the sobs in. Her shoulders hunched over and she leaned her head down so her beautiful mahogany hair covered her face.

"I don't have to tell you anymore. I can just give this information to your lawyer-" Bella cut him off before he could finish.

"Wait Edward. Aren't you going to be my lawyer?" Bella was concerned. She didn't know who to trust anymore. She was by herself in this city. What she was going to do, she didn't know yet.

Edward looked at Bella and knew he had to come clean.

"Bella I have something else to tell you." He looked her in the eyes so she knew he was completely serious. "I know that you are dealing with something huge right now. I know this is not the most perfect time, but, when we touch I feel...right? Is that how to say it? It's almost a like a bolt of electricity flowing between us. I don't know what it is, but in time, I would like to explore it. Right now, I will be your friend. That is what you need. In time, however, I hope that we will become more to each other. That being said, my being your lawyer would be considered a HUGE conflict of interest. I want to make sure this is well and truly taken care of. All i's dotted and all t's crossed. Does this make any sense to you?" Edward looked at her, watching her reaction. She looked shocked, and uncertain.

"Edward...I felt that spark too. I thought I was the only one. I just don't know what to think right now," Bella looked down at their entwined hands. "I am attracted to you, I just need time, and I have to take care of this divorce." She looked back up into his jade eyes.

'_They seem to change with his mood,'_ she thought. Bella couldn't believe that Edward felt the same spark. She so wanted to explore things, but it was way too soon.

'_I'm not a whore!' _Bella seethed inwardly. _'I refuse to do the same thing Jake did!'_

"Bella. I will not push you into anything. I just couldn't hold it in," Edward had to make this right. He knew she was beating herself up over what he had revealed. "There is something between us that will be explored, but only when the time is right. I'm not in a hurry. We will have all the time in the world. Friends? Okay?" Edward smiled at Bella, hoping to alleviate some of her fears.

Bella had watched Edward's eyes throughout most of their conversation and was relieved to find no trace of manipulation or lies.

"Friends." Bella's smile was breathtaking. She had a few tears still clinging to her eyelashes, but to Edward, she was the most exquisite creature he had ever seen. He was well and truly under her spell. A spell she didn't even realize she had cast.

"I'm going to leave now Bella. I don't want to overstay my welcome,' Edward stood up and stretched out a bit. They'd been sitting on her sofa for almost an hour. "I will get the information needed first thing in the morning and give it to Jasper. He will be the one handling your case." He shrugged into his overcoat and stood by the door watching her.

"Edward, I don't know how to thank you for tonight. I would have completely fallen apart if not for you." Bella looked at the floor, her arms wrapped around herself, almost like she was again trying to hold herself together.

"Bella, you are a strong woman. You would have been fine. I'm just glad I had the chance to be there for you," Edward reached out his hand, and putting his finger under her chin, he helped her hold her head back up. "You have nothing to feel ashamed of. You did nothing wrong. That...man," Edward shuddered at calling Jake that. "He didn't deserve you. You have a pure heart. You will get through this. Your family and friends will help you. Remember that. He smiled down at her and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

Bella felt that little kiss down to her toes. It warmed her through.

'_I can't believe that I can feel such a reaction to such a tiny kiss,' _she loved the feeling though.

"Edward, I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you again. I'll call you when I'm on my way to your office. I'm going to unplug my house phone and turn my cell phone on silent. I don't really want to have to listen to them ringing all night." Bella was sure that Jake would be calling both lines until she answered.

"Alright Bella, I'll see you around ten then?" Edward didn't really want to leave, but he knew he had to. He had to call Jasper.

Bella walked Edward to the door and watched him until he was in his car. She waved to him one last time and closed the door making sure it was locked. She knew that all of the doors and windows were locked, but she checked the all again, just to be on the safe side.

Curling up in her bed, Bella didn't even have the strength to change into her sleep clothes. She thought her mind would be running rampant all night, but she was asleep in minutes.

The next morning, after her morning routine, Bella got all of her financial information together, along with her marriage certificate and other legal papers she might need. Looking at herself in the mirror, she was a bit shocked at how rested she looked. She slept through the night, but she thought the stress would surely take a toll on her.

'_Guess I was wrong,' _she mused. _'But what does that mean?' _

During the drive to Cullen & Cullen, she thought about her marriage. She and Jake hadn't really ever fought. Bella preferred talking things through as opposed to acting like a child screaming to get her way. They didn't really have passion either though. Everything was carefully planned and thought through before any decisions were made. They were never spontaneous. This would be something to investigate at a later time. She had things to take care of right now.

Once she parked her car, Bella had to sit for a few moments trying to calm herself down. She knew there was a chance that she would run into Jake. She wasn't quite ready for that yet though. Leaning on her new found friend, she texted Edward to let him know she was outside and was worried about running into Jake or Vicki on her way into the office. She didn't have to wait long to get a reply. He was on his way down to meet her.

She got out of her car with her file folder in her hands. She was trying to zip up her purse when she bumped into someone.

"Oh! I'm so sorr-," she started to apologize, but stopped short as she realized who it was. There, standing in front of her, holding a cardboard box, was her soon to be ex-husband.

"Bell-bella," Jake stammered out. She noticed that his eyes were red rimmed. Almost like he had been crying. "Please, just talk to me. We can work this out Baby."

"Are you serious Jake? "Work this out"?" Bella was furious! "I have nothing to say to you, you lying, cheating bastard!"

She side stepped around him. She hadn't noticed Edward watching them. Knowing that Jake had turned to follow her, she cocked her head towards Edward and asked loudly, "Edward, can you point the way to Jasper's office? I have divorce proceedings to start."

She heard the cardboard box hit the ground at the same time she heard Jake's gasp of surprise.

So...what did you think? Please leave me some love?...Pretty please?


	5. Chapter 5

Hey everyone! Let me just say that you guys are awesome! Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm sorry I haven't responded to your reviews, but my life is super hectic right now. A 17 year old daughter getting ready for prom, and 2 three year old boys 5 days a week and my life is all tied up lol. I'm back on track now, and chapter 6 is already 1/3 done! I'm trying hard to get back onto my every Sunday update schedule.

This is my longest chapter yet. 15 pages!

Chapter 5 didn't get as far as I wanted it to, but the characters just had more to say Please realize that this is my first fan fic, and I need a bit of creative licensing lol. I'm not sure how laws in different countries and states go lol.

Thank you to bethviolet for allowing me to bounce ideas off of her as I try to keep the creative flow going. Sometimes the little ones suck it right out of me lol. If you're not reading her story "I'll Mend Your Heart", after you're done reading here, take a little jaunt to the search button and look it up! Seriously one of my favorites It's amazing!

I own many things, but it's a shame that I don't own Twilight I just like the characters to jump around in my head and pull this story out

Enjoy all!

As soon as Edward got into his car, he pulled out his phone and called his sister Alice.

"Some had better be either dead or dying! It's almost midnight!" Alice had always hated being woken up, even when she was younger.

"Sorry Alice, but we really need to talk," Edward started to explain the events of his evening. He didn't get far though, since Alice interrupted him frequently.

"What the fuck do you mean he was married? That douche bag hit on everything and anything with legs! That poor woman! What's she like? What does she look like?" She was off on a tangent again. Edward let his head fall forward, almost hitting the steering wheel and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"ALICE! Will you listen to me? She had no idea...about anything. She didn't evening have an inkling that he was running around. He had apparently "pocket called" her somehow. We walked in on Jake and Vicki," Edward tried to finish his sentence, but Alice again cut him off.

"What do you mean Edward? Like, "together?" Alice didn't know what to expect.

"I mean his head was buried between her thighs. She was naked, lying across a table. His wife walked in on this. She was completely floored! He even lied about his job! He told her he was a lawyer, not a mail room clerk." Edward was finally able to finish a complete thought.

Alice had gone silent on the other end of the phone line. Hell had officially frozen over. Alice was speechless!

'Alice? You there," Edward questioned. He was getting annoyed. He wanted this part taken care of so he could talk to his sister about the repercussions of Jake's actions.

"Wow! I honestly don't know what to say Edward." Alice felt horrible. This poor woman! The first thought that came to her mind was support. "Edward, does she have anyone else here in Chicago? Do you remember his personnel file? Where are they from? Do you know if they have any family here? Well, does SHE have any family here?'

"Alice, I don't know," Edward sighed as he tilted his head back and stared out the sunroof of his car. "I was just worried about getting her out of there. I offered to follow her home and wait for the locksmith with her. She packed ALL of his shit, threw it outside, and locked the door." Edward smiled as he recalled what had almost happened after that.

"Edward, is there something else you need to tell me?" He could hear the smile in her voice.

"Alice, she's...amazing. She handled the evening with such class. She didn't scream, yell, or throw things or anything. She just said what needed to be said, and that was it," he was still a bit amazed at how she handled the situation.

"Edward, are you interested in this woman? What's her name again?" Alice loved teasing her brother. They were very close. Their whole family was.

"Alice," Edward sighed. He wasn't sure how to tell her. He knew she wouldn't be upset, but she would hound him until she met her. "At this moment in time, we're just friends. She's married. But, I want to be in her life. In whatever capacity she'll have me."

"Edward." Alice was stunned yet again. "It sounds like you love her."

"Love? Alice, its way too soon for that. Although she is the type of woman I can see myself with. Then...there's this...current. It runs between us whenever we touch. It's indescribable!" Edward had no idea how to describe what he felt when they touched. It warmed his heart, and made it race at the same time. It made him feel like she was meant for him, as he was for her.

'_Oh shit! Maybe I do love her,' _Edward thought. _'But I am not afraid of the feeling.'_

Alice listened to her brother's voice as he spoke. He didn't realize that she could read him like a book. She already knew what he was feeling. She just hoped the feeling was mutual.

"So Edward, how do you want to proceed with the situation at the office?" Alice decided to give her brother a bit of space. He would figure things out on his own. He was a smart man.

"Well," Edward began. "Even if I didn't know Bella, I would still want Jacob Black out on his ass! That's no way to behave in the office. Whether there are others there or not." Edward was still pissed off about it. What would have happened if it was one of their clients who had walked in on them? Their reputation would be down the tubes!

"I agree Edward. How do you want to proceed?" Alice was sick of Jake's attitude. He thought he was God's gift to everyone around him. His cocky demeanor and "extracurricular activities" had cost them a few employees. Thank goodness he was never around their clients.

"I am going to call Dad in a few minutes and let him know of the situation as well. I'm going to let Jake and Vicki to get comfortable in their roles tomorrow and then call them into the office around 9. We'll handle it as a family." Edward wasn't going to miss this meeting. He wanted to watch Jake go down in flames. He deserved it after what he did to Bella.

"You know, there is probably video surveillance we can find on him," Alice thought out loud. "Remember about 5 months ago when he was caught coming out of the copy room with 'what's her name'?"

"Tanya," Edward remembered. The only reason he remembered her name was because she came on to him almost daily.

'_She would have slept with anyone apparently,' _Edward concluded.

"That's right. Tanya." Alice had never liked her. She tried to come on to Jasper as well. "We couldn't fire him then because all the proof we had was them coming out of the room together. They looked a bit disheveled, but they wouldn't have told us what happened." Alice was disgusted by that type of behavior. Tanya had had very little respect for their family or their business.

Even though she had the morals of an alley cat in heat, she was good at her job. When Jake had moved on to his next conquest, she had been furious and had left the company.

'_Good riddins.' _Edward was never happier to see someone move on. She had been a thorn in his side since the first day they'd met.

"Listen Alice, I also wanted you to mention to Jasper about being Bella's lawyer." Edward was sure there was something his sister would say about this.

"Sure Edward. I understand. You want her to be taken care of, but given your feelings, it would be considered a conflict of interests. No problem." Alice didn't want to bust his chops. She was sure he would admit his feelings sooner rather than later.

"Okay. Thanks Alice. Would you mind putting in a call to our IT guy in the morning to go through the footage? I want to make sure that there aren't any loose ends. At all. I want it over with." Edward wanted Bella to be able to move on and get on with her life. Not that he was trying to push anything. Whether he was involved in her life or not, she didn't deserve how she had been treated.

"Alright Edward, I'll call him as soon as I get to the office. I have to be there at 7:30 for an early conference call. Did you want to call them into the conference room at say 9:30?" Alice had her planner out to make sure none of them had any conflicting appointments. She was sure her father would want to be there as well.

"That sounds great Alice. Now I have to get home. I had just left Bella's when I called you. I'm still sitting in her driveway," Edward chuckled. He wouldn't be surprised if Bella called or texted him to find out why he was still here.

"I'll see you in the morning Edward. If you need me after you call Dad, give me a call." She was sure her father was going to blow a gasket when he heard the goings on. He liked professionalism in the office.

"Talk to you tomorrow Sis," Edward disconnected the call. No sooner did he pull up his father's phone number when he received a new text message.

'_Why are you still in my driveway lol?' _

Bella. All at once, she was all Edward could think about. Her beautiful mahogany hair, her bottomless chocolate brown eyes. He hit the reply button. He wasn't sure what to say. He felt like a teenager with a crush all of a sudden.

'_Just making sure there weren't aren't more dragons to slay my fair maiden.' _Edward hoped she had a sense of humor.

'_I see sir knight. He won't return. He's always been a coward lol.' _She typed 'lol', but Edward didn't think it was funny. She should be with someone who would be there for her.

'_As long as you're sure, I'll take my leave. Actually I was talking to my sister and my blue tooth is dead. I can't stand people who chat on their phones while driving.' _It was a huge pet peeve of his.

'_Okay Edward. What time should I be at your office tomorrow? What should I bring with me? I should have asked you this earlier. I'm sorry to bother you.' _Edward was shocked. She would never be able to 'bother him'. It was time she knew that.

Instead of texting her back, he called her. She answered on the first ring.

"Hello Edward." Her voice sounded like sunshine and honey.

"Bella you will NEVER bother me; no matter what. No matter what time it is when you call. I want to be there for you. I want to be your friend. I thought we had already covered this." Edward kept his tone light, even though he was completely serious.

"I know we did Edward. I just didn't want to make a pest of myself." He could hear the pain in her voice.

"Bella, you do know that you have done nothing wrong right?" He had to make her understand.

"Edward, my husband has lied to me since he started working for you! He's cheated on me at least once that has been confirmed by my own eyes, and three other times confirmed by you. I must have done something wrong!" She stopped, sniffling. Edward couldn't stand the sound of her tears. He got out of his car and ran up to her door, begging her to let him in.

What he saw when she opened the door broke his heart. Her beautiful face was covered in tears and her eyes were full of pain. He pulled her into his arms with a whispered "Come here Sweetheart."

She went willingly as the damn burst. She sobbed her heart out.

'_How could he do this to me? How could he treat me like this? I gave him everything!' _These thoughts plagued Bella as her tears ruined the front of Edward's shirt.

As she continued to cry her heart out, Edward held her as tightly as she held onto him. He rocked her back and forth until he feared her legs would give out on her. He leaned down and scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the sofa. He sat down and kept her on his lap so he could keep her close.

"Ho-how c-c-could he...do this Ed-Edward," she choked out. "I gave him every-everything I had. He threw me away like I was a piece of trash!" Her grief was considerable. He wasn't quite sure what to do, so he continued to make soothing noises while running his fingers through her hair.

"I-I-I now...ha-have...to...be..._tested_!" She spat the word. She was right though. God knew who else he'd been with. For her own piece of mind, she would have to go through testing to make sure he brought nothing back to her. Edward would hold her hand through it all if she allowed him.

"Bella," Edward cajoled. "Will you please look at me?" Edward tucked his fingers under her chin and lightly lifted her chin until she was looking at him.

"Sweetheart, this is not your problem. This is entirely his fault. He's an idiot. You are a beautiful, confident, amazing woman. He made those choices. Not you." The whole time he was speaking, he held her gaze. He hoped she could see the sincerity in his eyes.

"Edward, you are just too sweet for your own good." She leaned forward and gave him a soft chaste kiss on the lips. The current that flowed between them every time they touched flashed through Bella like a bolt of lightning. She leaned back a bit and looked into Edward's equally shocked eyes.

"Wow!" Edward lifted his fingers to her mouth and she kissed them lightly. ZAP! He moved his hand to the side of her face and gently pulled her toward him. He pressed his lips to hers firmly as she ran her hands up his chest and into his hair. The current flowed through them like they were on fire.

Bella tilted her head to deepen the kiss. She had never felt like this before! Jake's kisses never made her feel this way. They were always affectionate, but these kisses...THESE kisses made her feel like there was fire licking through her body.

Edward let her deepen the kiss and ran his tongue along her bottom lip. As he'd hoped, she opened her mouth and her tongue sought his. He had never been so affected by a simple kiss. But this, this wasn't a simple kiss. This kiss was everything! As their tongues fought for dominance, he felt her turn and straddle his lap. He kept her on his thighs so she wouldn't feel just _how much_ this kiss was affecting him.

When he heard her moan and felt her grinding on his lap, he had to end the kiss. He didn't want this to go too far. Not yet. He didn't want to be the rebound guy. He pulled back, pecking her lips three times before leaning his forehead onto hers, while they tried to catch their breath.

"Bella, that was amazing," Edward whispered. "But I don't want you to regret what's happening. I can't be the rebound guy." Bella sat up stock straight and felt her face burning.

"Oh. My. God." Bella covered her face with her hands. "What have I done?" She hung her head in shame.

"This is what I was talking about Bella." Edward forced her to look at him again. "I do not regret that kiss. It was the most amazing kiss of my life. I want to kiss you again, but I can't. Not yet."

Bella was shocked. Edward wanted to kiss her again?

'_Of course he does. Look what just happened.' _Bella's inner voice taunted. _'He probably thinks you're easy.'_

Edward watched Bella war with herself. He knew she now felt horrible. He couldn't allow that.

"Bella, please, PLEASE don't regret what happened." Edward made sure the whole time to keep her gaze. "I feel something for you that I've never felt before. I want to get to know you. I want to be with you. I told you earlier this evening. I will be what you need until you feel you are ready."

As he spoke, Bella felt the tears flow down her face. Edward cupped her face and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. He leaned forward and kissed each cheek, tasting her tears.

Bella wasn't sure what was happening. She felt like she was falling apart, yet with Edward, she felt whole. She lifted herself up off his lap and walked to the window, her arms wrapped around herself; trying to hold it together. She felt so very guilty that she kissed Edward. Not because of Jake, but because she felt like now, she too broke her marriage vows. She felt like a hypocrite.

"Bella, please. Talk to me." Edward walked up behind her and lightly laid his hands on her shoulders. "I can't help you if you don't talk to me."

When she turned around, Edward saw her tear ravaged face. She regretted it. He felt his heart break.

"Edward, I..." she stopped. She wasn't sure what to say.

"Bella, it's ok. I understand. I should leave. I have to be in the office early tomorrow morning-well THIS morning to deal with the repercussions." Edward hung his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. He turned to walk away, but felt her tiny hand on his arm.

"Edward, please...just let me think. I've been thrown for a loop today and I'm all mixed up." It was her turn to make him feel better. "The kiss we shared was like nothing I've ever experienced. It was bar none, the best kiss of my life." She looked up at him through her lashes and smiled just a tiny smile at him.

He pulled his hands out of his pockets and reached for hers. They felt so tiny in his. He ran his thumb over the tops of her hands and raised one to his lips. He didn't realize it was her left hand until he saw the indent of her recently tossed away wedding rings.

Bella watched as Edward kissed the spot where her rings had once proudly sat. She had more to say and she had to get it out before she lost her nerve.

"Edward? I want to thank you for helping me earlier tonight. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't been here when he showed up. Even though he didn't know you were here, you gave me the strength to hold on to my dignity." Edward smiled at her.

"Bella, you are your own strength. You did it. Not me." He wanted to make sure that she knew that she'd done it on her own. He was just glad to be her support. "You threw out his crap. I just held the garbage bags. This was all you sweetheart."

Bella blushed, as usual, and ducked her head again.

"Edward, I don't regret our kiss. Not in the way that you think I am. I regret when it happened. That's all. I feel like a hypocrite. I feel like I dishonored my vows as well as he did. I feel like I'm no better than Jake." As she spoke, more tears fell down her cheeks. And like before, Edward wiped them off gently.

"Bella, you are not a hypocrite. Yes, we could have and possibly should have waited for a more...opportune time. But, there is no way that I regret this. I am willing to be whoever and whatever you want." Edward hoped he was getting through to her.

"Well, I don't really have any friends here. Since we moved, it was really just Jake and me. Work, eat, sleep and spend time together. That's all we did. I don't know anyone else really. I could really use a friend right now. I'm sorry I took advantage of you Edward." Bella hung her head, not able to look at Edward. "I guess it was just kinda...cliché I guess. I was feeling sorry for myself and needed to know that I was still...desirable."

Edward looked at the beautiful woman in his arms. He wanted to kick Jacob Black's ass for making her feel this way.

"Bella, you are extremely beautiful women. Very desirable. I wanted to kiss you. You didn't take advantage of me." Edward smiled down at her. She was biting her lip again. He could tell she was deep in thought.

"Okay. Let's just agree to disagree." She pulled out of his arms and stood up straight. She stuck her right hand out to him. "Friends?" She looked at him hopefully.

"Friends Bella," Edward agreed, smiling at Bella. She smiled back and he could see it in her eyes.

'_For now.' _Was what was going through his head.

You know the drill: please leave me some love. I know some people may think that their behavior is not appropriate, but when you know, you know. And having been cheated on in my past, you sometimes need to feel desirable. Let me know what you think See you later in the week!


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again everyone! I know what you're all thinking! She's updating ON TIME! Hold your applause though. I haven't started chapter 7 yet lol.

Apparently there was some confusion in my chapters, or so a few friends of mine said. I know that I went back in time a bit before, but I wanted to show a bit about what Edward was thinking. There was more going on between the time Edward left and the next morning. I'm sorry if there was any confusion.

So on with the next chapter. I'm blown away by your support of my story! Thank you so much. I've read each and every review and I so greatly appreciate it!

Many thanks to my beta, bethviolet. She is the real reason I am posting so soon. She allows me to bounce my ideas off of her, and she tells me what works, and what doesn't. I hope you are all tuning into her story "I'll Mend Your Heart".

Normal disclaimer, I own nothing. The talented Stephanie Meyers owns it all. They plot is mine, and the characters just dance around in my head :)

On to the next chapter!

Once again, Edward left Bella's apartment. He had things he had to take care of. It didn't matter that it was past one in the morning. As he was driving, he thought back to their conversation. He couldn't believe that Bella thought herself to be undesirable.

'_That man deserves to be drawn and quartered,' _Edward inwardly seethed.How he could treat his wife in such a manner was deplorable! The look on Bella's facetonight was heartbreaking.

'_She is such a beautiful woman. Inside and out.'_

Edward couldn't understand how he was so smitten. He had never had such a reaction to a woman before. It hadn't even been 24 hours. He just knew that she was where he was meant to be.

Once home, Edward pulled out his phone again, this time calling his father.

"Edward, what's wrong? Why are you calling me at...almost one thirty in the morning?" His mother, Esme was the first to answer the phone and was already off and running.

"Mom, nothing's wrong. I just need to talk to Dad about something that happened at the office this evening," he spoke softly, trying to convince his mother that he was alright.

"Alright, Edward, as long as you're okay." Edward's mother was a wonderful wife and mother. She was kind, giving and so caring. She'd never met anyone who wasn't drawn to her generous nature. He wondered briefly what she would think of Bella.

"Edward, son, what's going on?" His father's sleepy voice came though the phone. He sat on his sofa with his head in his hand and told his father, Carlisle, everything that happened.

"Edward, this is a very serious situation. We have to make sure that there is sufficient proof to terminate." His father was pissed, but still wanted to make sure his company was covered.

"Dad, I walked in with Black's wife to find him in his boxer shorts with Victoria Barnes spread naked on a table in the mail room! What other proof do you need?" Edward was frustrated with his father. "Black has never been a model employee. We've been trying to catch him for months. How many times has he left the copy room with a woman sneaking out behind him? Now we have him. I want him gone!"

"Edward, I'm just trying to make sure all of our bases are covered. I don't want this to come back and bite us in the ass. This is our company. Our livelihood. We have to make sure it's taken care of." Carlisle was just as eager as Edward to get that man out of his company.

"Alright Dad, I'm going to catch a few hours of sleep. I'm going in to the office for eight. Alice has to be there at seven thirty for a conference call and she's going to get the IT guys to look for more footage." Edward ran his hands through his hair as he spoke.

'_What a fucking mess!' _Edward thought. Hopefully this will all be over tomorrow.

"Edward, I'll be at the office at nine. There's no way I'm missing this meeting. I want it all documented and all of us to sign it." His father was pissed. Edward hardly saw this side of his father. Carlisle Cullen was an intimidating man, but he didn't have to raise his voice to get his point across.

"Alright Dad, I'll see you then," Edward couldn't help but yawn at the end. It had been an extremely long day!

As he hung up the phone, Edward wondered how Bella was faring. She had looked exhausted when he left, but she'd been through the wringer today. She was a strong woman. His family would all help her.

Edward reached out and smacked his alarm clock. No time to play the "Smack Snooze Game" today. Feeling like he hadn't slept at all, Edward stretched out and groaned.

'_This is going to be one hell of a day," _he thought as he climbed out of his bed and padded to the kitchen. He turned on his coffee maker, letting it brew while he cleaned himself up.

Once he was dressed and his unruly hair somewhat tamed, he ate his breakfast and drank his coffee.

'_Sometimes I swear I just need a coffee I.V.' _Edward was not a morning person at all. He was more of a late afternoon, early evening kind of guy. When the weekends rolled around, he was never out of bed before ten. He was up at five thirty every morning for work and he deserved to sleep in!

He pulled his phone from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and texted Bella, reminding her to let him know when she arrived. He didn't think she would be up yet, but when he got to work, there was no telling how busy he would be.

When he arrived at work, he noticed that everyone was busy. Normally there would be the odd person gossiping at the desk of someone else. It was cliché, but the water cooler was always surrounded by people gossiping about this person or that person. Not today. Today the office looked like a ghost town.

He walked by the conference room to see if Alice was still busy. She was packing up her briefcase when he walked in.

"How was your call Sis?" Edward reached out his arm to pull Alice into a one armed hug.

"Not bad; it's always the same thing with this client. They want to find a way to lower the child support payments their wayward son has to pay his ex-wife." Alice hated this part of the job. Since they dealt with the elite of Chicago, they sometimes thought they were above reproach. This client thought that they could stop paying child support to an obviously loving parent. It was their son who ran around.

'_Seems like there's a lot of that going around lately,' _Alice thought glumly. She had an amazing boyfriend, and she trusted him completely. In family law, you could really become jaded.

The Cullens had what they called "an open door policy" for their family. There wasn't anything they couldn't talk about. Their parents always made them aware of the importance of communication.

"Edward, I talked to the IT department. They have a few videos for us. One with Kate; we already knew about that one." Alice shuddered as she remembered catching them kissing outside their staff lounge. They were both pulled up on the carpet about it. While there was no rule about inner-office romance, there was a rule about professionalism.

"Another was with him and Tanya both going into and coming out of the copy room." Since they'd caught Jake coming out of the copy room looking disheveled, the family decided to put a security camera in the hallway pointing at the door.

"The last one Edward, it was Jacob and Vicki. It was by far the most...vulgar?" Alice wasn't quite sure how to word it. They even had cameras in the stair wells, and it seems that they caught Vicki giving Jacob Black a blow job.

"Ugh! That's just...ugh! He's shown zero respect for this company, his wife, or those women!" Edward was disgusted! How could he treat his wife that way? He had lied to the women he'd slept with. Plainly put, the guy was an asshole!

"Okay Alice. We're going to have the meeting at 9. Dad said he would be here by then. I'm going to give him a quick call and let him know what was found." Edward was eager to get this over with. Honestly, he'd love to give Black a fist to the mouth, but that wouldn't get them anywhere.

As he had predicted, Carlisle was furious when he heard about what had been caught on video. His whole family believed strongly in the sanctity of marriage, and for someone to blatantly flaunt his lack of respect in his marriage really enraged them.

Edward was finishing up some paperwork when Jasper knocked on the door to his office.

"Ed man, Alice said you wanted me to represent someone in a divorce case?" It wasn't normal practice for Edward to become involved personally with their cases, so Jasper was intrigued.

"Yeah Jasper," Edward sighed, running his fingers through his hair again. "Did Alice tell you anything else?"

"Yeah, she told me everything." Jasper sat in the chair opposite Edward and watched his soon to be brother in law. He looked like he barely slept a wink. His usual bright green eyes were now dark, along with the bags underneath them. When he smiled, it didn't reach his eyes either. Jasper hadn't seen Edward like this in a long time. Since _Heidi; _and he NEVER spoke of her.

"When is Mrs. Black coming in?" Jasper took out his iPhone to make the appointment.

"Please, call her Bella. I'm sure she doesn't want to go by that name any longer. She'll be here at 10 or so. She's going to text me when she arrives. I wanted to make sure there was enough time to get that jackass out of here before she showed up." 

At that moment, Carlisle walked into Edward's office with a member of their security team. He was obviously ready for the meeting. Edward looked at his watch and sure enough, it was nine. He didn't even realize the time.

Carlisle and Edward walked into the conference room together. Alice was already there with both Jacob and Victoria. Both were looking a little scared and the former looked like he hadn't slept at all.

Carlisle decided to speak up first since he was the senior partner.

"Jacob, Victoria," he started looking at both of them, making sure to catch both of their gazes. "I am very disappointed that you would conduct yourselves in such a manner. This is a place of business where we deal with families every day. Victoria, even though you may not have known that he is in fact married, you knew this kind of behavior had serious consequences. What would have happened if we had a late meeting with a client?" Carlisle looked at the young woman. From the looks of it, she was barely holding herself together. She had tears running down her cheeks unchecked as she picked at her nails with her fingers.

He looked at Jacob who was sitting up straight. He had no emotion showing on his face. It was like he had no remorse at all.

"Jacob, what you have done, to both our company and your wife...its deplorable!" Jacob scoffed at the elder Cullen. "How you could do this, not once, but four times in total is absolutely nauseating!" Jacob scowled as he was reprimanded. They had no idea what it was like to be emasculated by their wives. How he never saw her since she worked all the time. He, as a man, had needs that were never met.

"Listen Mr. Cullen, I have something to say." Carlisle's eyebrow hit his hairline as the young man spoke. "I have been working here for what, almost three years? I had applied originally to actually be a lawyer. I didn't want to work in the mail room," Jacob spat the last word out as if it was burning his tongue.

"Jacob," Carlisle began, trying to keep his cool as the young man spoke with contempt about his company.

"I'm not quite finished...Carlisle." Jacob figured if he spoke with authority, they would listen to him.

"My...wife, she likes the finer things in life. So, I decided to try and prove myself to both her and to you by working as much as I possibly could. It was never enough. Bella worked longer hours, and moved ahead. I stayed where I was. Nothing I ever did was good enough!" Edward couldn't believe what was coming out of Jacob Black's mouth. He stayed silent since his father had the situation under control, but one look at his sister, and he knew she felt the same way about this poor excuse of a man.

"When other women started paying attention to me, I thought it was great. I do love my wife; I just...have needs...that weren't being met. She shirked her responsibility as my wife. She didn't bother to pay attention to her husband." Jacob knew they would understand. While Edward wasn't married, Carlisle was, and he knew that Mrs. Cullen worked full time as well. He knew that he must miss his wife. Maybe he's even strayed a time or two.

"Mr. Black," Carlisle seethed, his hands clasped so tightly his knuckles were white while the tips of his fingers were bright red. "Do you really think that you are going to sway my decision based on your tale of woe? You paint the woman you say you love in a harsh light. You talk poorly of your job, of your place of employment." Jacob's eyes widened as he slumped down in his chair a little. "We have security cameras in all of our rooms, in the stairwells, and yes, even outside the copy room."

Edward brought his hands up to his face to cover the smirk that had been forming as his father ripped Black a new one.

'_How the hell could he miss the security cameras? Did he not receive the memos?'_ Edward found this ironic as it was sent through email and through inner office memo. Jacob would have delivered them to everyone's offices, yet didn't read it himself.

Carlisle had listened to enough of Jacob's ramblings. "Jacob Black, you are hereby terminated from Cullen & Cullen. I will have security follow you to your locker and help you remove ONLY your personal things. You will do well to remember that we have found the security footage from other encounters than last nights. You are being fired for your conduct."

Jacob jumped up from his seat ready to say more, but the security guard grabbed him by the shoulder and ushered him out of the room.

Carlisle now turned his sight to the young woman in front of him. He knew she was a hard worker and that Black had not been forthcoming, but he could not allow her to continue working at Cullen & Cullen.

"Mr. Cullen, if I may have a turn to speak please," Victoria looked up at him from underneath her lashes. Carlisle smiled kindly at the woman and gave her the floor.

"I know that while I did not know he was married, my behavior was abysmal. I hereby turn in my letter of resignation with my sincere apologies." With that, Victoria pulled a letter in a manila envelope from her bag and handed it to Carlisle.

"I want to thank you for the opportunity, and apologize at the same time. I don't have anything in my locker, but I understand that I have to have security take me there and to my car. If I could ask one small thing Mr Cullen?" She finally looked Carlisle in the eye.

"What would you like Victoria," Carlisle asked gently. He was quite impressed with how she handled herself and he wanted to help her retain her dignity.

"If I could please stay in here until Mr. Black has left the building, it would be greatly appreciated. I don't want to ever see him again." Victoria still held her head high. Her eyes were red rimmed, but she was no longer crying.

"Certainly Victoria. I will leave a security guard with you. He will be alerted when Mr. Black is gone. He reached out and covered her hand in his. "I hope this has taught you an important lesson young lady," Carlisle couldn't help himself. He had to reprimand her a bit. "I would look long and hard inside yourself before you go for your next job. I will be willing to give you a recommendation should one be needed." Victoria's head snapped up, a look of utter shock on her face.

"Mr. Cullen, I know I don't deserve it, but I greatly appreciate it." She smiled tremulously at the older Cullen man.

Edward was glad the meeting was over. As he was turning towards Alice and his father, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He sent a message back that he was on his way down to her.

'_Bella's here.'_ Edward smiled. His smile quickly faded as he wondered if Jacob Black was off the premises. He decided to run out to make sure the coast was clear.

He jogged to the elevator, and willed it to come faster, repeatedly pressing the down button. Once in the elevator, he tried his sister's cell to see if the guards had spoken yet.

'_Stupid cell phone! No signal!' _Edward hoped that Black was already gone. The last thing she needed right now was to see her lying, cheating bastard of a husband.

As he walked outside, he saw Bella getting out of her car with her head down, fiddling with her purse. Jacob was walking toward her, but with his head down as well; not watching where he was going.

'_Oh shit. This won't end well.' _Edward decided to give her a bit of space and let her have her say.

He walked very slowly towards Bella, watching her face for some sort of signal that she was upset.

What he heard made him smirk again.

"Bell-Bella," Jake was stammering. He wasn't the same jerk as he was when he was upstairs spouting off to his father about his "horrible wife". "Please, just talk to me. We can work this out Baby."

'_Baby? He thinks he still has the right to call her "Baby"?' _

This guy is a class A tool.

Bella was hearing none of it though.

"Are you serious Jake? "Work this out"?" Edward noticed that Bella's face was bright red and she stood tall and proud; and promptly shouted in her husband's face. "I have nothing to say to you, you lying, cheating bastard!"

With that, Bella stepped around Jacob and started walking towards him. He didn't think she'd noticed him standing there. As she looked at him, she winked and loudly asked if he could point her in the direction of Jasper's office so she could start her divorce proceedings.

They both heard the gasp of surprise at the same time as the box hit the ground.

"Divorce? Bella, what are you talking about? I won't let you," Jacob grabbed Bella's wrist to turn her back in his direction. "Who the hell do you think you are? You are NOT divorcing me!" He yanked her toward him, and in doing so, caused Bella's ankle to twist from under her.

Bella gasped in pain and surprise as the pain shot from her ankle to her knee. As she fell to the ground, there was another jolt of pain in her wrist. She cried out as Jake let go of her, his face red with anger.

"Jake, go away. I never want to see you again." Bella was trying to stand with Edward's help.

"But...Bella, we've been together for years," Jake cajoled, still trying to get back in his wife's good graces.

Bella found that she couldn't walk. Edward scooped her up in his arms and started walking away from Jacob. He tried to speak with her again, but Edward had already beckoned to the security guard to have him removed.

They both ignored Jacob as they made their way through the parking lot into the lobby of the building. Edward put her down as they were waiting for the elevator. He also placed a call to his assistant to bring 2 ice compresses for Bella.

"Bella, you should go see a doctor. You don't know if there is any permanent damage done." Edward was worried. Bella's face was quite pale now.

"Edward, I promise that as soon as my meeting with Jasper is over, I will go to the emergency room." Bella was used to hurting herself. Even though she had been jogging since high school, she was still a bit clumsy. She was used to these types of injuries.

"Alright. I'll let it go. For now." Edward led her into the elevator, holding as much of her weight as she would allow.

"I'm going to carry you to Jasper's office. It's quite a ways from the elevator." Bella was mortified. She still couldn't believe this was happening to her. She wished it were yesterday afternoon again.

'_No you don't. You would still be in the dark about your asshole of a husband.'_

Bella allowed Edward to carry her to Jasper's office. She tried to ignore the stares and the whispers as they went. Once they reached their destination, Edward left her in the chair and went to get Jasper. As luck would have it, Jasper was already on his way to his office.

"Jasper," Edward called out to get his attention. "Bella is sitting in your office. I'll be right back. I have to bring her 2 cold compresses. Black decided to grab her in the parking lot. She may have a sprained wrist and a broken ankle."

Jasper's eyes bulged out of his head as he watched his friend walk toward his assistant's desk. He was curious about Mrs. Black-

'_Bella, I have to call her Bella. Not Mrs. Black." _Jasper was honestly a bit nervous. With his friend having so much invested in the young woman already, he was afraid he would mess it up.

He cleared his throat as he walked into his office, letting Bella know he'd arrived. He decided to leave the door open until Edward brought the compresses.

"Bella, it's nice to meet you." Jasper held out his hand for her to shake.

"Likewise Mr. Whitlock," Bella responded. "Although I wish the circumstances were...better."

"Did you bring any paperwork in regards to your belongings? Bank statements and what not?" Jasper had to head back into where he was most comfortable. He took the file folder from Bella and looking through what she'd brought, he noticed that she had already divided their money directly down the middle. He got a bit of a chuckle from that.

"How did you want to divide the home?" Jasper looked at Bella as he asked the question. She looked him dead in the eye and told him she wanted nothing from the house. Jacob could have it...provided he bought her out. She smiled a little evil smirk.

"Mr. Whitlock, I am not a vindictive person. I don't want the house. I want nothing to do with our life together. If he can't buy me out, I want it sold and any profit divided directly down the middle. I'm not naive. I know that I paid for just about everything. Hell, you probably still have his pay stubs on file. I just don't want to fight. I want to get on with my life."

Jasper had to admire the woman. She'd just found out that her husband had been lying to her for God knew how long and she still held her head high.

"Mrs. Black-"Jasper began, only to be cut off.

"Ms. Swan. Please call me either Bella or Ms. Swan," Bella whispered. She wanted nothing from Jacob Black, and that included his name.

"Ms. Swan, Bella, I understand what you're saying. It's not uncommon given the circumstances either. We do have evidence of his infidelity, should it be needed, but we can cross that bridge if and when we get there." Jasper was being up front and honest with her, and she appreciated it.

"Honestly, it shouldn't take long as all to have your divorce finalized; maybe four to six months, unless he contests anything." Bella prayed he wouldn't. She just wanted to move on.

Jasper was wondering where Edward was. He had wanted to use the compresses on her right away. He looked out his office door and found him talking to his sister and father. Alice handed him a DVD case, and he took an educated guess that this was what they needed to prove that he'd been unfaithful.

"Alright Bella, before Edward gets back, is there anything you wanted to ask me? We need to sign some paperwork so we have the legal right to your personal financial information, due to the privacy acts in place. Do you want to get this taken care of?" Jasper started going through a file folder to find the forms he was looking for.

Bella swallowed hard. She was actually doing this; taking the first step toward being single again. She reached into her purse and grabbed her pen.

"What do I need to sign Mr. Whitlock?"

Please keep in mind that I know NOTHING of divorce laws in the United States. I am just going by what I've read and researched. It's quite technical, and difficult to understand, so I hope I am doing it justice.

Please leave me some love! Reviews make me smile!


	7. Chapter 7

I'm back everyone! I can't apologize enough about the long wait! Between being sick twice and a death in the family...I couldn't even begin to think about writing!

I've jumped ahead a little bit in this chapter. I know many of you wanted Jake to have his ass kicked, but honestly, I just wanted to have Bella move on. It's a bit fluffy. I will do a couple of outtakes at the end. I promise.

If you haven't read bethviolet's story "I'll Mend Your Heart", as soon as you're finished this chapter...take yourself over and find it. It's an awesome story! I was hooked right at the beginning!

Thank you to my beta, bethviolet, for keeping me on track. If it wasn't for her...this chapter wouldn't be here. Anyway, enough of the author droning on. Here's my next chapter! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I wish I did, but I am just not that talented lol. I do however, own a 16x20 "Edward" puzzle **

As Bella closed the last box and sealed it with packing tape, she thought about what had transpired over the past 3 months; putting her house on the market, selling everything inside the house, finding a beautiful new apartment, her long conversation with Charlie. Well, conversations, followed by Charlie's visit.

_Jake actually had the audacity to call him and cry to HER father that she was leaving him. Of course, he left out the reasons why. Charlie had called her, demanding to know why she was leaving a man who obviously loved her._

_Bella, being in a state of shock, burst into tears and hung up on him. After that, she had turned off her phone, and sat in her room in the dark. She didn't cry, she didn't throw things, she just sat there. After who knew how long, there was a frantic pounding on her door. Looking at her alarm clock, she was shocked to find out that it was after 10 o'clock. She had sat there since mid-morning! How had that happened?_

_Crawling out of her bed, she walked sluggishly to the door. Without looking through the peep hole, she opened it and faced who was on the other side. There stood two beautiful women. Edward's sister Alice was one of them. She had only met her once, and she had immediately had a bond with the tiny woman. She was fun, energetic and exactly what Bella needed in a friend. _

_The other woman was tall with beautiful long blond hair. Rosalie. Bella had heard many things about her, but had never met her. From what she HAD heard, she was tough as nails with a sharp wit and an even sharper tongue. Both women held huge duffle bags and take out containers._

"_Bella! We're here to have a girls' night," Alice squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She was always in a great mood. She was always full of life. Very energetic. _

"_Alice, I don't really feel like having company over." Bella looked down at her feet. She hadn't even changed out of her pj's. _

"_Bella, Edward has been calling you all day. We were worried sick. Now that we know you're ok, we're going to have a party. We have all of the essentials. Ice cream, Chinese food, alcohol, sappy chick flicks, and of course, we're going to have facials, do our nails, and bitch!" Alice looked at Rosalie and nodded her head. Both women let themselves in the house and dropped their bags. _

"_Bella, I'm Rosalie, but you can call me Rose. I'm sorry we're meeting under these circumstances, but we're here for you." Rose reached out and hugged Bella. That was all she needed. Human contact. Alice was on her other side hugging her as well. Huge wracking sobs left Bella then as she was squished by her two new friends. _

_Sinking to the floor, she let out all the pain and misery of the past month and a half. She mourned the end of life as she knew it. They sat there for quite a while just letting her get it all out. Bella was mumbling incoherently. Alice looked at Rose over Bella's head and smiled sadly. They knew this was what she needed, but it was hard to watch such a beautiful girl fall apart. Jake hadn't deserved her. _

_After a while, Bella was able to compose herself. She lifted her head from Rose's shoulder and looked her in the eye._

"_I'm sorry that I just basically "snotted" all over you," she whipered. Rose threw her head back and laughed. Bella's head snapped up. She was shocked. Alice was giggling behind her. Soon Bella was able to see the hilarity of the situation, and a huge belly laugh forced it way out of her._

"_Bella, you can "snot" all over me anytime." Rose was trying to speak. She was still giggling hysterically. "I'm glad we could be here for you!"_

"_Rose, we need to get this girls' night going!" Alice jumped up and grabbed the take out containers. She walked into Bella's kitchen like she owned the place. Rose helped Bella up off the floor and followed her to the kitchen._

"_Why don't you go have a shower Bella, while we get our dinner dished out?" Rose was gently pushing her towards her bathroom._

"_A shower does sound good," Bella croaked out. Her throat was a bit sore from the crying jag. _

_As the hot water streamed over her, Bella tried to relax her tense muscles. She had never had friends like Rose and Alice before. She didn't let herself get close to anyone besides her family...and HIM._

_Bella was brushing her hair, pulling it back in a ponytail. Looking in the mirror, she gave herself a stern talking to._

"_No more crying over a life that didn't really exist. He's a liar and a cheater. Get over it! You're well rid of him!" _

_She jumped as she heard Alice in the door way._

"_On to bigger and better things Bella!" Alice said, with a glass of...something in her hand._

"_Alice, I'm not much of a drinker. Two drinks and I am toast." Bella cajoled as she took the glass Alice was holding out for her. She looked at the green liquid inside, and sniffed it. It smelled like chocolate mint chip fudge ice cream!_

"_It's called "a grasshopper" and it's super yummy! I made them weak so you won't get trashed." Alice was giggling as Bella tried the drink._

"_Ohmigod! They ARE yummy." Bella downed the entire glass. It was so good. She passed the glass back to her friend as she walked through the doorway._

"_Another please barkeep." Bella giggled. Alice rolled her eyes and set her up with another._

Bella smiled at her memories of that night. She did indeed get drunk. She didn't cry again, but she did talk well into the next day with her new friends. They watched the chick flicks, with each of them laughing at the cheesy lines, throwing popcorn at the screen when one of the males leads was caught cheating, and laughed as they plotted their own revenge.

Something else happened that night. She made two amazing best friends. They were basically inseparable after that. She met Rose's fiancé Emmett. He was HUGE! At first he did intimidate her, but once they hung out for a little while, he was like a big burley brother - a very _protective_ big burley brother. They grew very close, and quite quickly. Emmett would text her at random times during the day, just to try to make her laugh. He usually succeeded.

Bella had already met Alice's other half, Jasper. He was her lawyer. He fought hard for her. With the evidence of his affairs, Jake didn't have a leg to stand on. They had to submit their income tax forms from the I.R.S to show what Jake actually earned as a mail room clerk. What he received in the divorce settlement reflected his yearly income.

What surprised Bella the most was the fact that the divorce was not contested at all. Jake had decided to walk away from Bella without putting her through any more grief. The house was hers to do with as she wanted. Bella decided to sell. Everything. Nothing in the house other than her clothes and her personals were going. She put it on the market a month ago. She had a buyer within 2 weeks. The closing date was a week after her divorce was final.

Once she found a new place to live, Alice and Rose helped Bella choose new furniture, and paint colors. The little knick knacks would be chosen after she moved in. She was slowly getting her life back together. She was happier than she had been in a long time. With her new job allowing her to work from home, she was able to get everything packed away much faster. Anything that was left over from Jake, she boxed up to have him pick up after she had moved out. She lined up the movers and set up her utilities. All that was left was to wait for the closing date.

Pushing the last box into the corner, she checked the time. She just had time for a shower before Edward came over for dinner. Edward. Bella found sighing for no reason. He had done everything he could to make this transition period easier for her. All the while, he was her friend, but he also did little things to remind her that he was indeed still attracted to her and wanted to be with her when the time was right.

Just yesterday, he had sent over a bouquet of white calla lilies. She googled the meaning and found that it meant "beauty". Included with the lovely blooms was a little note that said:

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." **(AN at bottom)**

It's true. Edward had called her his best friend many times. And truly, he is hers. They spent untold hours talking, both over the phone and in person. Once she had started her divorce proceedings, she hadn't seen him in person until the weekend after her "girls' night". Although they had spoken on the phone every night, she thought it improper to have a gentleman caller while divorcing her husband. Honestly though, getting to know each other through the phone was a lot easier for Bella. They could talk about anything. He couldn't see her blush, even though every time they spoke of something more than friendship, he would know she was blushing. After spending the better part of two days with Alice and Rose, her door was wide open to all of her friends, including Edward.

Tonight, since Edward was bringing over pizza for dinner, they were going to watch Bella's movie choice: "Thor". Last week they watched "Captain America", and both "Ironman" movies. They were preparing to go see "The Avengers" on their first public date after her divorce was final. To say Bella was nervous was a HUGE understatement. She hadn't been on a date in years. She knew that her girls would help her though.

The doorbell rang as she was bringing two beer to the coffee table. Checking her appearance in the mirror hanging in the hallway, she smoothed down her hair before opening the door. There, standing on the other side was Edward, looking far too handsome for his own good. He was leaning on her door jam, one hand in his jeans pocket, the other holding a true Chicago style pizza. He has that lop sided smirk on his face that drove her crazy.

"Edward," Bella sighed, smiling back at him. She held the door wide for him, allowing him to pass her.

"Bella, hello." Edward leaned down to give her a peck on the cheek. Right on cue, she blushed. He loved it! Kicking off his shoes, he walked straight into the living room, placing the pizza on the coffee table. Once she reached him, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. She returned his hug whole-heartedly.

They stayed there for a few minutes. His cheek resting on the top of her head, hers resting over his heart. They hadn't seen each other since last week. Another of Bella's "rules". She thought it was too much for them to see each other too often. Once during the week, and maybe once on the weekend. Since Charlie had been visiting last week, trying to bridge the gap Jake had inadvertently caused, they hadn't seen each other over the weekend.

"We'd better sit down and start eating, before the pizza gets cold Edward." Bella pulled away, still blushing. "We have to continue your super hero education as well." She smirked over her shoulder at his as she set up the movie.

One thing Edward had learned about Bella was that she was unlike a lot of women he knew. "Chick flicks" were few and far between and he didn't mind one bit. Bella was a closet super hero geek. Yet another facet of the beautiful woman who had captured his heart. Her favorite was Superman. She could talk about super heroes for HOURS! Once when she answered the door (he had shown up unexpectedly), she was decked out in shorts, a t-shirt and superman socks-complete with capes! The door was promptly shut in his laughing face, with her yelling to come back in 15 minutes.

When the movie was playing and the lights were off, Bella curled up with Edward. She had a slice of pizza in one hand and a beer in the other. He teased her a bit about watching "Thor" just for Chris Hemsworth, but she knew he meant nothing by it. He even once offered her a napkin, saying she was drooling. She slapped his leg in retaliation. Things with Jake had never been this easy. Being with Edward was as easy as breathing. And if she was honest with herself, she really liked the feeling.

**AN: The quote "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me" was from Henry Ford.**

**I am a HUGE super hero fan! No closet needed I love Thor, and not JUST for Chris Hemsworth, although that man is all kinds of super yummy! Can't wait to see him with Kristin Stewart in "Snow White and the Huntsman"! And yes, I do own a pair of the Superman socks (with capes)! Found at ****.ca**


	8. Outtake  Charlie Takes Care of Business

**AN #1: Thank you so much for all the reviews They mean so much! However, I have gotten a few messages that people aren't happy that Jake didn't get his ass kicked. I just want to say that this is not a story about Jake. It's a story about Bella becoming stronger and moving on. **

**I want to thank bethviolet for giving me a kick when I was really having a hard time moving forward with this story. Not that I wanted to just abandon it, but with RL kicking MY ass, it was hard to find the time or energy to write. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, I do however have all 3 movies in blu-ray and all 4 books **

**Anywho, I promised to post an out take, so...here it is. I hope you like it **

Charlie Swan was a simple man. He didn't need a lot of things. He had his best friends, Harry and Sue Clearwater and their family, his job, and his fishing. The only part of his life that was missing, was his daughter Bella. He couldn't fault her though for moving to the east coast. She was married, had a job SHE loved, and was moving up in the company. Just last week, she had called him about her promotion. He was proud of the woman she had become. Bella had also talked to him about her and Jake starting a family. Yes, Charlie was a happy man.

As he was relaxing after work, watching a ball game, his phone rang. Not many people called him after work since it was a small town and he usually saw everyone in the run of his day. Glancing at the call display so he wasn't stuck with a telemarketer asking if he wanted to change his long distance plan, he saw that it was Jake calling him.

"Jake, my boy," Charlie's voice boomed out. "How are you guys doing? Any news on the upcoming grandchildren?" Charlie was very excited about having a new baby to spoil.

"Charlie," Jake croaked out. This instantly put Charlie on alert.

"Jake, where's Bells? Is she ok? What's happened?" Charlie was now frantic, having worked himself up already into a panic. He was calm about everything in his life, except his daughter.

'_Please God. Please don't have let anything have happened to my baby.' Charlie prayed silently._

"Charlie, Bella's left me, Jake whispered.

"WHAT? Jake, what happened? She would never leave you. Just last week-" He was cut off by Jake's sobbing.

"I lost my job Charlie. Then...she left me. I don't know what to do! I love her so much." He was barely understandable.

"Tell me everything Jake. And slow down. Calm down. I can barely understand you. Do you need me to come out there?" In his mind, Charlie was already packed and on his way to the airport. Over the years, Jake had become like a son to Charlie. He needed to be there for them.

"No Charlie. Please don't come out here. She'll just be more upset. But, maybe...if you could call her. Try to make her see reason. I can find another job. I swear. I don't want her to support me, but, I just need time to get my feet under me. I was just fired a few days ago." Jake was now babbling.

"What happened with your job Jake? You were working as a lawyer in a prestigious law firm. You had cases. She was so proud of you. She said you were working late every night. She was working towards her promotion. Long hours, just like you. I don't understand!" Charlie was frustrated. "She's not the type of girl to just up and leave for no reason. Maybe you guys just need a break. You guys were both working so much; maybe you lost what you guys were together." The last thing Charlie wanted was to see his daughter tied to a marriage she wasn't happy in, but what had changed since last week?

"I'll call her Jake, I'll find out what happened." Charlie was a cop. He'd get to the bottom of things.

"Thank you Charlie. I just love her so much. I need her in my life." Jake was still sobbing like a baby.

"Don't worry. I'll call you as soon as I can. I just have to figure out what to say." Since Charlie was a quiet man, and he and Bella didn't talk much about personal things, he really didn't know what to say.

Hanging up from Jake, he checked the time. It was four hours later in Chicago. Too late to call her now. If she was upset, she would be sleeping. Her patterns were quite predictable. Even as a child, she would go to bed early if she had had a bad day. And considering that she'd left her husband...she was having a FEW bad days. Tomorrow would have to do.

That night, Charlie thought about the one person he never liked to think about. Renee. He had hoped that Bella was more like him, but at the moment, it sounded like she was more like the woman who had broken his heart. He couldn't let that happen. He had to make Bella see reason.

After tossing and turning all night, Charlie picked up his phone to call his only daughter.

"Hello?" Bella didn't sound upset. She sounded...liberated...free?

"Bells," Charlie started. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean Dad? I was just doing a bit of housework. I'm working from home today and am taking a little break." Bella laughed-_laughed_, while her husband had called him sobbing his heart out.

"What I mean is," Charlie took a deep breath. This was it. "Why did your husband call me last night crying his heart out? He said you left him. Isabella Marie Swan, what the hell are you doing? I raised you better than that. You don't flake out on your marriage just because he lost his job! Did you meet another man and run off with him? Leaving your husband to pick up the pieces of his heart? I thought you were more like me. Not like..._her._" He couldn't even bring himself to say her name.

"Dad! What the fuck are you talking about? Jake called you?" Bella was screaming at him! "What sob story did he tell you?" It sounded like she was now starting to cry.

"Sweetheart, I just want what's best for you-"he was cut off by the dial tone. She had hung up on him.

_What have I done? I just accused her of being like the woman who had abandoned her. _

Charlie sat there, waiting for her to call him back. He waited a long time, days to be precise.

~~~~~~IBWaL~~~~~~

Bella picked up the phone trying to pluck up the courage to call her father. It had been days since she'd spoken to him. Days since he'd accused her of being like..._her_. She couldn't believe he'd spoken to her like that. He'd listened to whatever crap Jake had spouted off and turned on his own daughter.

The only reason she could call her father today, was that Edward was sitting beside her. She knew she was stronger, but it was still nice to have a cheering section, someone to talk to if this went badly again. She ran her fingers over the buttons on her phone and hit the speed dial for her father.

"Bella?" He'd answered on the first ring. No time for the call display. He'd been waiting for her to call.

"Yeah, Dad, it's me," Bella whispered.

"Bells, I'm so sorry-" again, Charlie was cut off.

"Dad, listen. I know you have things to say, but this time, I'm going first." Bella felt Edward squeeze her hand in support. She took a deep breath, cleared her throat and continued.

"Dad, I have no idea what Jake said to you, but yes, I did leave him. Not because he'd lost his job, which he did. But because I caught him cheating on me. At his work. With a woman..." Bella had to stop. Even though she had filed for divorce and cried her heart out already, it still hurt to think about. It was still so very difficult to talk about. And, it seemed that Charlie was stunned speechless. She had to continue and get the story all out at once.

"Daddy, he lied to me for so long. He wasn't a lawyer, he was a mail room clerk. When he said he was working, he was with other women. Women Dad, not woman. There were others." Bella waited for her father to say something. Still not hearing anything, she finished her side.

"When I checked our finances, our joint credit card was maxed out, his was almost at its limit, and there was money missing from our bank account. He used me and what money I earned working my ass off to spend time with those women." Bella now had silent tears streaming down her face. Edward had one hand rubbing her back, and the other holding hers. Her head was resting on his shoulder. His head rested on hers.

"Wha...How...Wha..." At least she knew he was still there. His breathing started coming in hard pants. She all of a sudden heard a crash over the line.

"Daddy...I...had...to be...tested." She sobbed in her father's ear.

That did it. Daddy roared through the line.

"THAT LYING SON OF A FUCKING BITCH!" Bella's mouth dropped open. Not that her father didn't curse, but he NEVER dropped the F-bomb!

"I'M GONNA KILL THAT SON OF A BITCH! TO TRY AND TELL ME THAT HE LOVED YOU AND...ALL THOSE...LIES!"

Bella had to pull the phone away from her ear then. She couldn't make out a word he was saying at this point. She listened to him shout and scream and heard more crashes. After a minute, he quieted down. Bella then heard something she had never heard before. Her big, strong, larger than life, tough as nails father was crying.

"Bella, Sweetheart. Please forgive me. I am so sorry that I listened to him. Don't you worry. I'll make it right Honey," Charlie choked out through his tears. He couldn't believe that he'd listened to Jake. He'd doubted his baby girl. He made himself sick.

"Bella, is there any way I can come for a visit? I'll understand if-" Charlie had to stop that train of thought. There was no way he could stay away from his daughter.

"Daddy, I would love to see you. A girl needs her daddy in times like this. How soon can you get here?" Since Charlie was the Chief of Police, he did have some pull, but 2 of his deputies were already on vacation.

"I'm sorry Bells, I have to wait until the week after next. Mark and James are still on their vacations, and they're both out of town. Please tell me you have someone to help you until I get there." Charlie said a small prayer that his daughter wasn't alone.

"Daddy, I met some wonderful people and am lucky enough to call them my friends. I'm okay." Charlie was glad that her daughter had a support group. She needed people around her to help her.

"Bells, can you plan on me staying a couple of weeks? I would love to have you show me your world." He'd not visited since the year after she was married. That was too long ago. She'd visited him for a weekend, by herself of course, but again, that wasn't enough time.

"Of course! I'll do some extra work and take a few days off when you get here. As long as you don't mind that I do have to work during some of your stay." Bella was already going through her schedule in her mind. Which manuscripts were waiting for her.

"Just like your old man Honey. Work, work, work." Charlie snickered. She WAS just like him.

"Okay Dad, I have to get going. I'll talk to you soon okay?" Too soon, Bella was ending the conversation.

"Bells...is it okay if I call you in a couple of days?" He was very unsure of himself right now. He didn't want to push her, but there was no way he could go that long again without talking to his daughter.

"I would like that Dad. I miss you." She was sniffling again.

"No more tears Baby girl. I'll make it alright." Charlie's anger was coming back to him. He had things to take care of.

"Okay, I'll talk to you in a couple of days. I love you Daddy." And there is was. She still loved her dad. She needed her dad. All was right in Charlie's world again. Well...almost.

"I love you too Bells. I'll talk to you soon." He hated to hang up, but he had travel arrangements to set up and work to delegate during his absence.

After hanging up, Charlie dialed another familiar number.

"Jake, listen, I couldn't get a hold of her...No...That's fine...Don't you worry. I'm going to take care of it." Charlie hung up. Yes...he would indeed take care of it!

~~~~IBWaL~~~~

Charlie spent two wonderful weeks with his baby girl. He had a great time. She'd shown him all around Chicago. He visited her office at _Twilight Publishing. _She was moving up quickly. They had nothing but good things to say about his baby girl. He thought at first that they were just mouthing platitudes but looking into her co-workers's eyes, he could see the sincerity. She was appreciated and loved at her job. That made him extremely happy. He needed to see that she was happy with his own two eyes.

He'd hoped to spend more time with her friends, but he was only allowed one night with them. The rest of the time was just the two of them. He did meet Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, and Edward. The latter he watched closely. He could read him like a book. Edward loved his daughter. He would have to watch a little more before he left. He didn't want her hurt again.

They had gone to a restaurant for lunch called _"Wildfire". _Bella knew he was a meat and potatoes kind of man. Particularly a STEAK and potatoes man. He loved his steak, and what a steak it was! You could cut it with a fork it was so tender. Everyone at the table laughed at him when he took his first bite. He had embarrassed himself by letting out a deep moan.

After dinner, they'd all gone back to Bella's house to help her with her packing. There weren't many things of Jake's here, but what she did find, she placed in boxes. Charlie was quite pleased. His daughter had class. Most women would be vindictive and destroy their ex's things. But not his daughter. Knick knacks that were from his parents, she'd wrapped in bubble wrap and gently stored. Any clothes that were found were shoved in garbage bags. She'd cleaned out a spot in the spare room for his things. She didn't want to see them.

Any pictures that Bella had found were stacked in a pile and once they were done packing, they'd gone into her backyard and had a little fire in her fire pit. She wanted nothing from their time together. Not that he could blame her. He'd done the same thing with _her _things.

As they were packing and cleaning, he watched Edward. He saw that they moved around each other constantly. He was very considerate of her feelings. He didn't make any kind of move on her. He was content to just be in her presence. He was considerate, and caring. Charlie found that he was starting to like the guy. He'd have to have a conversation with him soon. He was leaving in a few days.

His opportunity came when Bella asked if Edward would run and pick up some pizza, even though they only ate a few hours ago, they'd been hard at work. He asked if he could tag along and much to his satisfaction, Edward welcomed him. Once they were seated in Edward's car, Charlie turned to him and began to speak.

"Edward, I've been watching you. At first, I was afraid that you were just after her as a rebound, but...you love her don't you?" Charlie looked right at his face for any kind of reaction.

Edward didn't flinch, he smiled. A big, huge, crinkle your eyes smile.

"Charlie, while I think it's too soon to say I love your daughter, I do care for her very much. I don't want to be a rebound relationship. I want to be with Bella, but right now, I will settle for her friendship. I know she has a ways to go before she's ready for another relationship." Edward parked the car and turned and looked Charlie in the eye. "That being said, I do want to be with your daughter. I think she is the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Watching her pack up her ex husband's things with care shows that she is compassionate. She didn't need to be. Hell, I would have thrown it out in the trash, but she has class." Charlie smiled, thinking he'd said and thought the same thing not even 2 hours ago.

"Edward, that's good enough for me. I do have one question though. Are you REALLY a lawyer or do you work in the mail room?" Charlie smirked at him.

Edward threw his head back and laughed.

"Charlie, I am indeed a lawyer. I work for Cullen and Cullen with my sister Alice and my father Carlisle. I normally work with adoption cases. I leave the harsh world of divorce and nasty custody battles to my sister and Jasper. As a matter of fact, Jasper is Bella's lawyer and he is fighting for her with everything he is. Now, can we get that pizza? I know that I'm hungry, even after that amazing steak, and I can imagine that you are too. I try not to get on the bad side of those ladies and trust me...they love their pizza." Edward smiled at Charlie, getting out of his car.

Charlie was happy. He knew his daughter had some great friends, a great job, and possibly more coming in the near future. The only thing left to do was to visit Jake tomorrow.

~~~~IBWaL~~~~

Charlie found out where Jake was living through his friend Mark at home. He'd used his police influence and made a few calls. This was why Charlie found himself at a little hole in the wall apartment waiting for the man who hurts his baby girl to answer the door.

"Yeah? What-"that was all Jake got out before Charlie threw his fist into the taller man's face knocking him on his lying ass.

"What the hell? Who the fu...oh shit." Jake's eyes showed his fear as he, tried to pick himself up off the floor.

"Here Jake, let me help you up." Charlie grabbed the collar of his dirty shirt and hauled him up off the floor. Shoving up up against the wall, he slammed the door with his foot.

"So Jake, how are ya? All alone? No tramp waiting in the back for you? Now that you're broke and living in a hovel...no one wants you?" Charlie was beyond pissed now.

"Charlie, please, let me explain..."Jake whimpered and Charlie pulled him forward and slammed him back against the wall once more. Jake may have been a head taller than his wife's father, but Charlie was pissed and out for blood. And Jake wasn't a big fighter either.

"Explain what you lying sack of shit? How you cheated on my daughter? How you lied to her? Used her? Tried to destroy MY baby girl,"Charlie spat out. Spittle was hitting Jake in the face. "She had to go get tested for God knows what you asshole!"

Charlie pulled one arm back and slammed it into Jake's stomach, doubling him over. Still holding his collar, he reared back again and slammed his fist into Jake's lying mouth, smiling as the man's teeth split his knuckle.

"Charlie, please. I-" Jake pleaded.

"You what? Didn't mean to hurt her? Let me guess? You had "needs". She was working her ass off to put herself into a position with you to have a family!" Charlie brought his knee up into Jake's groin. Hopefully with the strength of that hit, reproduction would never be possible.

"You had the most caring, beautiful woman in the world. And you threw it away for a piece of ass. Pieces of ass! How many were there Jake?" Jake had long since decided to shut his mouth. It wasn't getting him anywhere.

"Do you remember the talk we had when you came to me after you asked her to marry you? I told you then if you ever hurt my baby, I would kick your ass. Well here I am." Charlie pulled him away from the wall and threw him further into the room. All that could be heard after that were random crashes, shouts of anger and whimpers of pain.

When Charlie Swan left Chicago, he was certain that Jake would never go near his daughter again. He would never hurt another woman again. He made sure of it.

**AN #2: So...did I do it justice? Does this make everyone happy lol? This was my first fight scene. It's honestly what I would do if anyone ever hurt my daughters. Just to clarify a few things:**

**-Jake is gone. Done. He did not contest the divorce because he realized what he'd done. Well that and the fact that Charlie kicked his ass and he didn't want a repeat.**

**-Charlie wasn't friends with Billy. He was friends with Harry and Sue Clearwater. Billy never had a part in my story, other than of course he was Jake's dad.**

**-This is a Bella and Edward story. They will move on together, but as I said twice in this chapter. Bella has class. She didn't want to jump into a relationship with Edward right away. She has feelings for him, she's attracted to him. They will be together, but please give me some time to have them build a foundation for their relationship. Friends first remember? The best relationships are when you are best friends.**

**-If you want to leave me a review, by all means, do so. Please do not PM me with nasty messages about how "I skipped the best parts" meaning Jake getting his ass kicked. I had stated in my chapter before this that I would post an out take and to please have faith in my story. I love that there are so many of you reading my story, but it is just that: MY STORY. I am not putting a gun to your head to read it. I don't leave nasty messages or reviews for other authors, so please respect me and my story and do the same **

**For all of you still reading...I love you all! I should be back up to my regular posting schedule by next week. Since this Sunday is Mother's Day, my girls have a day planned for me **

**Take care and all the best **


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey Everyone! Thanks for the amazing reviews! They make me so very happy! I'm glad you all enjoyed Charlie's out take! Now that we have that out of the way, we can get down to business! **

**Thank you so much to my beta: bethviolet. She is truly awesome! And her story "I'll Mend Your Heart"...well that just ROCKS! Go...Quick!...READ IT!**

**Discliamer: I don't own Twilight. I wish I did. I do own my own ideas **

**And now...on with our story!**

Edward looked at the clock in his office for at least the hundredth time today. Tonight was his first date with Bella, and he was worried about being late. He didn't want to mess up their relationship-if you could call it that yet.

As he read over the briefs his assistant left him for his latest adoption case, he thought back over the past week. Bella's divorce was final and she had moved into a new apartment. At first she had hired movers, not wanting to "bother" his family. Once Emmett had heard that, he called her and read her the riot act. He showed up with his big Jeep Commander, and that was that. All of her boxes and bags fit easily, with room to spare. All of her new furniture was being delivered.

Emmett had truly found a little sister in Bella, both in age and in stature. When Emmett stood in front of Bella, you couldn't see her at all. He completely eclipsed the tiny woman.

Bella and Emmett were as close as he and Alice were. Emmett would call her randomly just to see how she was faring. And when they were all together, he was the first in line for a hug.

Edward loved that she slipped into his family so seamlessly. After Alice and Rose had descended upon her for their "girls' night in", they had been thick as thieves as well. They helped her pick new paint colors for her new apartment, and once Bella had moved in, Alice had drug Bella all over the city to help her decorate.

Although Bella had met and got along with all of his family and his friends, Edward hadn't introduced her to his parents yet. He had wanted to right away, but Bella confided in him that she didn't want to meet them as a married woman. She was worried that they would think she was like Jake. Seeing that Jake had worked for his family's company, his father had seen what he was really like.

'_Edward, what if they think I'm just like him? That I'm loose, and that I sleep around?' Bella had asked him one night after their movie. _

'_Bella, my parents already love you. Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett all talk about you almost as much as I do. Trust me when I say you have NOTHING to worry about Sweetheart!'_

_She looked up into his eyes and when he saw her beautiful brown eyes spilling over with tears, he couldn't help but reach out and wipe them away with his thumb. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead lightly._

'_Bella, please. I can't take it when you cry. You are a wonderful person. So kind, and compassionate. Not many women would treat their ex-husband's things with such care. You are so beautiful both inside and out. Please...please believe me.'_

_Bella had started to cry in earnest then. Edward, not knowing what to do, pulled her up into his lap. He held her head to his shoulder while she cried. She had one hand clutching his shirt front, and the other behind his back, buried in his hair._

_He held her for a long time after her tears stopped. Edward understood that she wasn't crying over the loss of her marriage, but crying over the loss of who she was._

_Bella had told him that little by little, she had changed. She didn't have many friends before moving to Chicago, but what friends she did have, she had ignored. Jake had consumed all of her time. She had no "Bella time". Once they were in Chicago, Bella threw herself into her job as did Jake, so they hadn't had time to make any new friends. At least Bella hadn't. Jake had been another story._

Edward had explained to his family how Bella felt, and although they tried to reassure him and Bella both that they didn't hold Jake's actions against her, Bella continued to drag her feet.

Now though, with the divorce finalized, Edward was hoping that she was open to meeting Carlise and Esme. The latter was chomping at the bit, practically begging to meet the woman who had Edward's usual orderly world spinning out of control. Edward had only ever introduced Heidi to them once. That was all that was needed. Esme, who never had a bad word to say about anyone, let Edward know in no uncertain terms what she thought of the woman he had decided to spend his time with. That had been the night of Alice's car accident. The day after, when Heidi had be found, Esme had been beside herself. Although she hadn't known it, she'd spoken ill of a deceased person. It took months for her to get over the guilt she'd felt.

This time, however, Esme had heard all about the beautiful brunette from all of her "children". She considered Rose, Emmett, and Jasper to be as much her children as her own flesh and blood. She was just as protective of them as well.

When Edward hung up the phone with Alice that first night, the first person Alice had called had been her mother. When she told Esme about what had happened and the tone in Edward's voice when he spoke of Bella, she had been angry for Bella, and then astonished by Edward's behavior.

Edward spoke to his family about any woman. Not since Heidi. He'd not been attracted to anyone until Bella. Even during their first meeting, which was understandably dramatic, she was classy and in control of herself. Heidi, being the diva that she was, would have screamed and hollered and caused even more drama. He hated drama. He liked the peace and quiet. Heidi provided him with neither.

He was going to talk to Bella after their movie date about meeting the rest of his family this weekend. Esme wanted to invite all six of them to their home for a BBQ, very informal. Edward was hoping that she would finally agree.

'_I gotta get my head back in the game here.' _

If Edward didn't buckle down, he was going to have to work late. It was a simple adoption, but there were some complications. The birth mother was a 17 year old girl who had been raped by a boy who was supposed to be her friend. Edward's adoption case had been on hold until the verdict came through. He was now helping the young girl choose a family for the baby. They had narrowed it down to 3 families, and he was going through their paperwork, making sure he was steering the young woman in the right direction.

Edward had to admire this family. Most wouldn't care who the child went to. They would just send the child to an orphanage, or have an abortion. This young lady held nothing against the child she carried. She wanted to give the little boy the best possible life she could, even though he hadn't been conceived in love.

He was just finishing putting the last file together when his phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he noticed it was his mother.

"Hey Mom, I haven't asked her yet." Edward knew why she was calling, and had decided to cut her off at the pass.

"Edward, that isn't why I'm calling, but thank you for reminding me." Esme snickered. "I was wondering if you were asking Bella to accompany you to the ball next month.

Esme didn't work at the law firm, but she was very busy with her charities. The current fundraiser was for The Children's Memorial Hospital. Since Cullen & Cullen dealt with family law, they wanted to support the hospital in whatever way they could. It was a black tie affair and they were hoping to raise a great deal of money for the neonatal intensive care unit.

Dealing with influential families helped their charities greatly, especially if they were trying to look good in front of a judge. It sickened Edward to know that happened more often than not. Some families did it out of the goodness of their hearts, but usually it was for show.

"Mom, I haven't asked her yet, but I will tonight. I'm also asking her tonight about meeting you guys. You know she's quite shy and doesn't want you to think poorly of her." Edward ran his hand through his hair. It was something he did without thinking. He didn't want to push Bella, but he was very excited about her meeting his family.

"Edward, dear, please tell her that she has nothing to worry about. Just because her ex-husband is an asshole-"

"MOM! Please do not say that in front of her!" Edward interjected, yelling into the phone.

"Edward Anthony Cullen! I would never! I just want her to know that we do not consider her to be cut from the same cloth." Esme was trying to calm him down. She knew how nervous he was.

"I know Mom. I..just..." Edward sighed, now pinching the bridge of his nose. "I just need this to go...right." He was never at a loss for words, but right now, he was all tied up in knots.

"Edward, from everything you've told us, she's a strong, intelligent young woman who obviously cares for you. Everything will be fine Dear." Esme crooned into his ear.

"Thanks Mom. You always know what to say to make me feel better. I'd better get going though. I have to pick her up in an hour." As he spoke to his mother, Edward was cleaning up his desk, locking the files in the drawers that he would need on Monday morning.

"Alright Edward. I hope you have a nice evening. Please tell Bella we said hello." Esme ended the call, already talking to Carlise in the background.

Edward drove over to Bella's apartment, which wasn't too far from his own. She didn't know that when she chose the place, but it made him very happy.

He waved to the security guard, Tyler on his way by. He told Edward that Miss Swan was indeed home and was expecting him.

Edward had to admit that he was very happy that her building had such impressive security measures. When she first started moving her things in, they all had to show their identification to be put on a pre-approved visitors list. If you weren't on that list, the tenant was called and security ushered you upstairs. The guards were all great, and they treated the tenants and their guests with respect.

If Edward was honest with himself, he was worried Jake might be a continuing problem. Even though he seemed to bow out gracefully, Edward had seen Jacob Black's nasty side the night he was confronted. Of course, Charlie Swan kicked clear back to the west coast so maybe he wouldn't be a problem after all.

Once he got to Bella's doorway, he knocked and waited rather impatiently. When he saw the brunette goddess on the other side of the door, he said a silent prayer of thanks that he had even met her. She ushered him inside as she grabbed her jacket and hand bag. She was wearing a black long sleeve cotton shirt with The Avenger's symbol on the front and a pair of dark washed skinny jeans. On her feet were black Converse sneakers. Her beautiful mahogany hair was pulled back into a pony tail. She looked so beautiful!

Edward held out his hand and smiled as Bella shyly tucked her hand in his. He entwined their fingers as he lifted her hand to his lips.

"Bella, you look beautiful. Thank you for coming out with me tonight." Bella blushed and looked at the ground. She wasn't used to this.

"Thank you for inviting me Edward." She looked up at him from under her lashes. She bit her lip, unsure of what to do next.

Edward knew she was nervous. She hadn't been on a "first date" in years. He hadn't either. He lifted his other hand to her face and tilted her head up and his thumb caressed her cheek. He needed to look into her eyes.

"Bella, I've already had a wonderful time this evening. It's just me. Edward. We've spent so much time together in the past almost 4 months, that there is no reason to be shy around me." He leaned down and rested his forehead to hers. "Please," he whispered, his breath fanning against her warm face.

Bella, lifted herself on to her toes and touched her lips lightly to his. He pulled back with a gasp as he gazed into her shocked eyes. Then she smirked and Edward was done for. Sweeping his arm down her side and around to her back, he crushed her to him as he still held her hand. His mouth devouring hers as Bella's hand reached for his soft, thick hair.

Edward's tongue teased along her bottom lip, begging for entrance. They hadn't kissed like this since that first night and he needed to taste her. Once she granted him entrance, he wasted no time before he explored her sweet mouth. Bella moaned, setting Edward on fire. He released her other hand as he reached for her ass. He lifted her into the air and pressed her to the still open door. Her hand, once free from his, ran up his chest and neck to rest on the side of his face.

Their tongues battled for dominance as their breathing grew ragged. Bella, still having her legs still wrapped around the amazing man who held her, didn't want to stop.

'_Who cares if I see The Avengers?' she thought. 'I have my own super hero right here.'_

Eventually, Edward pulled back. He didn't want to push her too far. He didn't want her to regret trusting him. He pecked her mouth once more and let her slide down the front of his body so she knew without a doubt that he desperately wanted her. He took his stance again, with his forehead resting on hers.

"As much as I would love to continue this baby," Edward choked out. "We really should get going. I don't to ruin something that could be absolutely amazing by jumping in too quick." He brought both her hands back to his mouth and kissed them both gently. Bella smiled at him tremulously, and nodded softly.

After making sure her apartment was locked up, they continued back down the elevator and out through the lobby, waving good-bye to Tyler. He escorted her to her door and opening it for her, helped her in. Once she was buckled, he closed the door with a gentle smile on his lips.

Bella took a deep breath and sighed. Edward got into the car and got himself comfortable.

"Ready Beautiful?" He winked at her, causing her again to blush.

"Absolutely, Handsome!" She winked back, feeling care free and cared for.

As Edward drove towards the movie theatre, holding her hand as he drove, Bella was lost in her own thoughts.

'_WOW! What a kiss! I want to do that again! What a gentleman! What a kiss!' _Bella's brain was on repeat. She couldn't believe how amazing the kiss was! She'd never felt anything like it!

'_Other than when you last kissed Edward!' _her inner voice taunted.

Even when she'd first met Jake, he had never made her feel so...alive when he kissed her. It was nice, but she could take it or leave it. With Edward, she never wanted to STOP kissing him. She needed it like she needed air. Bella snapped out of her thoughts when the door opened. They had arrived at the theatre and Edward had climbed out and walked around to open her door already! How long was she lost in her own head?

"Edward, I'm so sorry. I'm terrible at this. I wasn't ignoring you, I swear. I was just lost in my own thoughts." Then the muttering began. "God Bella, ruin it already."

Edward kneeled down so he was on the same level as she was. He again turned her head gently so he could look into her eyes. They were already starting to brim with tears.

"Bella, you didn't ruin anything. I was just as lost in my thoughts as you were in yours." He smirked at her, his own cheeks getting ruddy. "I couldn't get that kiss out of my mind. I was thinking about when we could do it again."

Bella's mouth popped open as she stared at Edward. They had the same thoughts. Everything was going to be fine. She smiled at him, and started to swing her legs out of the car.

"Come on Edward," she said giggling. "We have a movie to watch, and we need popcorn. We can't go to the movies and not get popcorn!"

Bella pulled him along, barely giving him a chance to close the car door. Thank goodness he could lock it by remote. As they stood in line for their concessions, Edward decided to ask about his parents' BBQ the next day.

"Bella, would you like to come to my family's home for a BBQ tomorrow afternoon," he murmured into her ear.

Standing as close as they were, he felt her start and shiver a bit as she took a deep breath.

"Yes, Edward. Thank you for inviting me," she answered quietly, clearing her throat when it cracked. Bella knew it was time to meet them. She wanted to be in Edward's life, and his life included his parents.

Bella leaned back into Edward. He reached around and rested his hands on her tummy. He really loved holding her close.

"Thank you Bella. Please don't worry. They love you already." He smiled into her hair, kissing the top of her head. As she ran her hands over top of his, she whispered, "Edward, I've had a great time tonight too."

**So...what did you guys think? A little bit of citrus there...I'm getting a bit nervous here. I've not written anything like this before. **

**The Avengers is owned by Marvel...which is owned by Disney **


	10. Chapter 9

**Here it is...the next chapter! Already you say? Well...I was on a roll and didn't want to stop lol. I wanted to continue their date. Apparently a lot of you LOVE my sweet Edward! I figured that's what this Bella needed. **

**I want to thank bethviolet once again for keeping me on task. If not for her, I wouldn't be updating at this rate. Her story "I'll Mend Your Heart"...absolutely fabulous!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. The wonderful Stephanie Meyers owns all I just make them dance to my tune!**

**~~IBWaL~~**

As Edward was helping Bella back into the car after their movie, his phone rang from inside his lightweight jacket. Pulling it out, he noticed that yet again it was his mother.

"Yes Mom," Edward stated, amused.

"Edward, did you talk to Bella yet? I've called you three times already. Did Bella say yes? What about the ball?" He snickered at her babbling.

"Mom...Mom. MOM!" Edward had to raise his voice a bit for him to be heard. He could hear Bella giggling from inside the car. He leaned down and ran his fingers down the side of her face. She stopped immediately and looked at him shyly, biting her lip.

'_She's trying to kill me. I swear it!' _Edward mused inwardly. He winked at Bella as he shut the door and walked to the other side of the car.

"Edward, are you even listening to me? Hello? Carlisle, I think I lose the signal." Esme was still babbling.

"Mom, I can hear you fine. I didn't answer before because we were in the theatre. Bella is coming for lunch tomorrow, but I haven't mentioned the ball to her...yet...damn." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose as he heard Bella's gasp.

"Uh...Mom...I gotta go. I have to do some damage control." Edward turned off the phone as his mother was STILL babbling in his ear.

"Bella, can you please look at me." She was staring straight ahead, breathing quickly. At Edward's request, he eyes shot to his.  
>"Edward, I can't go to a ball! I can't dance! What will people say? Ohmigod! I will be branded as a slut! It's only been a little over a week since the divorce was final. What was I thinking? I can-"Her words were stopped by Edward's fingers lightly resting on her mouth.<p>

"Bella, listen to me. You. Are. Not. A. Slut! I will say this as often as I have to. As many times as I have to until you believe me." He picked up her hand and brought her fingers to his lips, kissing each fingertip in turn. She turned her head to look back out the window of the car.

"Who cares if the divorce was only final last week? It only matters what WE think. Remember?" Bella had a few self-esteem issues as of late. Being cheated on and lied to would do that to a person, but Edward was determined to help her get over this.

"Jake did not deserve you. He had the most beautiful, kind, caring woman in the world and he tried to crush that. Bella, I think I would rather say that you weren't meant to be with Jake. I like to think that you were waiting for me." Edward could feel his cheeks start to burn, but when her head whipped around and her eyes were brimming with tears, he knew it had been worth it.

"Edward," Bella whispered. "I feel the same way. I've done a LOT of soul searching, and I don't think I've ever felt for Jake after 6 years the way I feel for you after 4 months." She leaned over the console and gently touched her lips to his in the lightest of kisses. "I can talk to you about anything. When I think of you, I automatically smile. If it doesn't bother you that I just got out of my disastrous marriage, then I'll try not to let it bother me either."

Edward couldn't believe she felt the same way he did. He knew now that he loved her, but it was glaringly obvious that it was too soon. He smiled at her and pressed his lips once again to her forehead.

"Bella, I'm not at all bothered. Please...don't let it bother you. Everyone who matters knows what happened. So, what did you think of the movie?"

And with that comment, the subject was closed and they were on to a lighter topic.

"Oh! My! GOD! Edward! It was amazing! I loved everything about it!" Edward wondered if she knew she was bouncing in her seat. He loved seeing her so carefree! He drove towards her apartment as she rambled on about the movie. Her favorite part was the friendly rivalry between Thor and The Hulk. She said it was a lot like the comics and the cartoons she would watch with Charlie on Saturday mornings.

Once he parked in front of her building, he got out of the car and went over to Bella's to help her out. Bella had learned early that he was a gentleman and that he enjoyed doing little things for her. Opening her door was just one of them. As they walked into the lobby, Edward wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her lightly into him. Bella looked up at him and smiled, leaning her head against his side as they walked.

"Edward, would you like to come in for a while?" She was putting the invitation out there and she while she wanted him to accept, she was still nervous.

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable Bella. If you want me to come inside I will, but I don't expect anything to happen. I just don't want this evening to end." He smiled at her as she blushed again.

They had discussed their first public date before actually making up their minds where to go. Edward didn't want her to feel pressured into a romantic evening, although if she had wanted candles and flowers, she would have gotten them. Instead, he suggested the movie. They could still snuggle a bit, but there would be no need to fill their time up with chit chat. They spoke on the phone every day. She was right when she said they could talk about anything. He loved learning all about this tiny woman, but he wanted to have fun. He wanted to see her smile, and the movie provided him that.

He watched her more than he had watched the movie. Her smile barely left her face. She had greatly enjoyed "The Avengers", and on their way out of the theatre, she had mentioned wanting to go again. He would go if she wanted him to.

Bella cleared her throat lightly, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Edward, I would love for you to come in for a while," she whispered. If she hadn't cleared her throat bringing his attention to her, he doubted he would have heard her.

"Bella, I would love to," Edward answered softly. He didn't want to spook her.

They were sitting on her sofa, still discussing the movie and drinking a beer, when Bella brought up the ball again.

"What is this "ball" for? I assume it's for a charity?" She questioned, her eyebrows furrowed in thought.

"Yes, it's for the Children's Memorial Hospital, specifically for their NICU. It's a black tie affair. It begins at 6 for cocktails, and then a full 6 course gourmet meal. After that, of course there is dancing. All the while, there is a silent auction going on." Edward hoped she was ok with this. He really wanted to see her all dressed up and he longed to hold her while they danced.

"Is your whole family going? Alice and Rose would be able to help me choose a dress wouldn't they?"

"Bella...you HAVE met Alice right? Shopping is her passion. She lives for it," Edward snickered. Alice had already picked out Bella's dress in her mind, but he didn't have the heart to tell her. He wasn't allowed to see it until the night of the ball.

"Alright Edward, I would love to go to the ball with you." She let out a big sigh as if a large weight was lifted from her shoulders.

Edward smiled at her and tugged at her hand, pulling her to his lap. Once she was situated with her arms around his neck and her hands in his hair, he laid his head down on her shoulder, holding her close.

"Thank you Bella. You will be the most beautiful woman there. I can guarantee it." He placed a light kiss on her skin where her shoulder met her neck.

This caused Bella to squeal and squirm a bit on his lap. She gasped loudly when she felt his erection against her. Edward tightened his grip on her slightly, afraid she was going to jump and run.

"Bella, I can't apologize for that. You are a beautiful woman and I am greatly attracted to you. I am sorry though that it makes you uncomfortable." Edward declared.

"I'm not uncomfortable Edward. I'm a bit embarrassed, but that's normal for me." She lifted her head and looked him in the eye. She was smiling, but she was still blushing. "I like that I can make you react this way. It...makes me feel...sexy?" She said as a question.

"Bella, you ARE sexy! It's taking all of my self control to not kiss you senseless." Edward was gasping against her shoulder now as she wiggled more in his lap.

Bella knew she would have to initiate the kiss she so desperately wanted. He wouldn't push her. He was such a gentleman!

Tugging his fair slightly, she tilted his head back so she could kiss his throat. Instead of kissing him though, at the last second, she decided to run her tongue along his jaw line until she reached his mouth. She had made the first move, and he did not disappoint. He followed right behind her.

He leaned his head back and looked at her with dark eyes. They were the color of jade. So hot! He seemed to find what he was looking for in her eyes, as his mouth came down onto hers. Instantly, her mouth opened to allow his tongue entrance. They kissed wildly, both moaning as the contact became more heated. Bella shifted in his lap until she was straddling him and removed her hands from his hair. She ran her hands down his chest and stomach, feeling the muscles shift underneath, until she got to the hem of his t-shirt. She needed to feel his skin. Her hands now ran up his back, under his shirt, lightly scratching her nails on his skin as she went.

Edward's eyes rolled back into his head as she kissed him and touched him in the ways he'd only dreamed about since the night he met her. Needing to retaliate, she reached for her t-shirt hem as well. He was shocked when she leaned back, gasping. He thought he had overstepped his bounds until she winked at him and lifted her shirt over her head.

Edward's mouth was instantly dry as he looked at the perfection in front of him. Creamy pale skin met his hungry gaze. A tiny midnight blue lacy bra was the only thing hiding her from him.

'_Oh! My! FUCK! I am one lucky sonuvabitch!' _Edward couldn't believe that his shy Bella had turned into a sex kitten before his very eyes!

"Lucky, Edward? I'm the lucky one," Bella whimpered as Edward realized he'd actually spoken out loud.

"Well Bella, turnabout is fair play." His voice was muffled as he sat forward and yanked his t-shirt over his head. After tossing it behind him, he reached for Bella again pulling her to him. Skin to skin. Edward moaned loudly at the contact. She was so warm, so soft. He ran his hands where ever he could reach. Bella was doing the same.

"Edward," Bella whispered just before she crushed her lips back to his. She couldn't seem to stop touching him.

'_I need to touch him. I need it more than my next breath,'_ Bella thought as she ground herself onto his erection.

Edward grabbed her hips to still her. Lifting his head from hers, he was gasping for breath.

"Bella. No. Please stop Sweetheart." Edward tried to move her back a bit so she wasn't sitting on top of his now painfully hard cock.

"Um, Okay. Uh, can you pass me my shirt please?" Bella was holding back tears as the sting of rejection coursed through her. She had her arms now crossed over her breasts, trying to shield her body as well as her heart.

Edward, finally understanding what he'd done, passed her said t-shirt, feeling like an absolute asshole.

"Bella?" no response. "Bella, please look at me." Edward tried to keep her with him, but she crawled off of him and went into the kitchen with the empty beer bottles.

He followed her after putting his shirt back on over his head.

'_Way to go Asshole! FIX IT! FIX! IT! NOW!' _His head and heart were screaming at him.

He found her at the counter, with her back to him. Her shoulders were hunched and her head was down. He would hear a sniffling noise.

"_You made her cry! You are an Ass Hat!'_ His head was still shouting.

He walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders. She flinched away but Edward held her firmly. She was pulling against him, but he needed to feel her against him. He needed to fix it.

"Bella, I didn't mean-"Edward stuttered. "I just didn't want to rush into anything. I didn't want you to get caught up in the moment only to regret it later. You could feel how much I want you. Please, Baby, talk to me." He tried to turn her around to face him, but she refused to co-operate.

"It seems that we're always in this situation, doesn't it Edward?" Her voice was breaking, her throat tight.

"Baby, please, can you turn around and look at me? I know you're mad at me, but please let me fix it." She didn't know how desperate he was to fix this.

"I'm not mad at you Edward. I'm mad at me. I basically forced myself on you." She started crying openly now. "I understand Edward. Really, I do."

Edward had heard enough. He knew she was suffering, and it was his fault. He spun her around, making her gasp, and picked her up. He carried her back to the sofa, and sat down again with her on his lap, right in the middle. Once he was sitting, he swung his legs up and lay down, tucking her between him and the back of the sofa.

"Isabella Marie Swan, please, get it through your thick skull that I care about you. You didn't take advantage of me. I was trying desperately not to take advantage of you." She tried to interrupt, but he wasn't letting her get a word in. "I want you. I. Want. You. I am only trying to keep you from rushing. Remember what I said earlier: I don't want to ruin something beautiful by jumping the gun." He had to make her understand.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm here until you order me away." He looked her right in the eye so she knew he was telling her the truth. "Please tell me you believe me."

"Edward," she sighed, her shoulders heaving with the exertion. "I...don't know..."

Exasperated, he grabbed her chin and crushed his lips to hers. Immediately their bodies started to respond, but he had to make her see first.

"Do you know what you do to me? Every time you're near me, I'm harder than Chinese Algebra!" Bella giggled, and he reveled in it. "When you kiss me, my mind scrambles and I can't think. Then you touch me, my heart beats out of control. You. Only you do that to me." To prove his point, he clasped her tiny hand in his and placed it on his chest.

She could feel his heart beating. Fast. She took his hand in hers and placed it on her chest.  
>"I thought it was only me," she whispered. She was still looking at her hand, held in his against his chest.<p>

"No Bella, it's not. You make my heart race. I feel an overwhelming need to be with you all the time. I want to talk to you 24/7." He smiled at her.

"I feel the same way Edward." She peeked up at him from beneath her lashes, biting her lip.

"Jesus, what that lip does to me." He reached up and tugged her lip from behind her teeth. Leaving forward, he ran his tongue over her bottom lip, causing them both to moan.

"I need to kiss you Bella. I just wanted to make sure you knew I wasn't trying to push you," Edward whispered against her mouth, nipping at her lips as he spoke.

"Edward, shut up and kiss me." Not needing to be asked twice, he sealed his lips to hers, once again feeling that spark. He reached into her hair, holding her to him. Her arms were locked around him, his chest touching hers.

Needing to break for air, he drug his mouth down her throat, taking time to nibble at her jaw line. He ran his tongue over her neck, gently sucking at her pulse point.

Bella arched her back, bringing her chest closer to him. He reached down to cup her breast in his large hand. He could feel her nipple puckered under her clothes.

He didn't want to venture under her shirt again though. He didn't want to take any steps backwards.

Bella took his hand in hers again and guided him under her shirt, and motioned for him to touch under her bra.

"Please Edward. I need you to touch me. Please Baby." She was gasping as his fingers touched the edge of her bra.

Hearing her call him "Baby" was all he needed. Something inside him snapped and he sat up quickly, again yanking his t-shirt over his head. Bella tried to sit up to remove hers, but with Edward's weight still holding her down on her sofa, she was trapped.

He smiled wickedly at her as he shimmied down and grasped the hem of her shirt.  
>"Relax Baby. I'll take care of you," he whispered against the skin of her tummy. Bella was quickly turning into a puddle of goo.<p>

Removing her t-shirt slowly, Edward teased her skin with his lips and tongue. When he dipped into her belly button, he hips bucked towards him and her hands flew into his hair holding him to her.

Bella was writhing under him and he had never seen a more beautiful sight. Her face and chest were flushed pink, her lips were plump from his kisses, and her breath was coming in shallow pants.

He thanked his lucky stars that her bra had a front closure and with a gentle kiss to her sternum, he flicked the clasp open, allowing her gorgeous breasts to tumble into his waiting hands.

She was gasping his name, begging him with her body to continue touching him. He leaned up to look into her eyes. They were nearly black with lust. He meant to kiss her gently, but she was having none of that. She grabbed the back of his head, twisting her fingers tightly in his hair, causing HIM to gasp, and yanked his head down to hers.

Kissing Bella was like nothing he'd ever felt before. When her tongue entered his mouth, his eyes rolled back into his head and he groaned in pleasure. As she kissed him, he ran his hands down to her breasts. He wanted more.

He flipped them over so she was once again on top of his. She resumed her demanding kisses and he cupped both breasts in his hands. He ran his thumbs over her nipples gently, reveling in the gasp his actions pulled from her.

Bella sat up and looked down at him. He smirked at her as he half sat up and buried his face between her breasts. She scooted back a bit more so he could fully sit up. As soon as he did, she was again grabbing the back of his head. She guided his mouth to her right nipple, begging his with her eyes to take it in his mouth.

Edward did not disappoint her as he swirled his tongue in a circle over her peak before sucking her into his mouth. Hard. Bella threw her head back, whimpering in pleasure. This movement brought her breasts further into Edward's face. When he switched to her other nipple, Bella could no longer stay still.

Anchoring his head to her by grasping his hair hard again, she started to grind against him.

"Edward, I'm so close," she gasped. He groaned and held her tighter to him, his own hips now gyrating under her.

"Let go Baby. I want to watch you." Edward's mouth was drawn back to her nipple as he watched from beneath his lashes. Watching Bella come apart in his arms was like a religious experience. She was so beautiful like this. Her head thrown back in ecstasy, her plump lips parted as she gasped, her back arched against his arms, causing her gorgeous breasts to press against his face, and he hips grinding down onto him. Fucking! Beautiful!

Leaving one arm braced behind her, he grabbed her hip in this hand. He pressed her further into him, trying to get enough friction for himself as well. He was so close.

"Edward-"

"Bella-"

As they flew off the edge together, they clung to each other, neither wanting to relinquish their hold.

**~~IBWQaL~~**

**So? A bit more citrus. They won't be falling into bed right away, but they can sure have fun in the mean time **

**I would like to Rec a few of my fav stories if I may!**

**Rm w a Vu – by AngelGoddess1981. **

**Words with Friends & Words with Strangers – by Nolebucgrl. These are companion pieces and I absolutely LOVE anything she writes!**

**And last but certainly not least...**

**Two of a Kind – by Nilla79**

**I absolutely love these stories and these writers are AMAZING! Each and every one of these stories draws you in right from the very beginning! Go...Enjoy!**

**Please leave me some love! I greatly appreciate each and every review!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Well...another chapter! Hard to believe you say? Sorry for making your doubt me Thank you for the reviews I know a few of you found Bella to be a bit annoying, but...that was the way I planned it. She's been hurt, and her emotions are running rampant. Rest assured...all is well now. Give a girl a break ;)**

**I want to give a shout out to my beta bethviolet, who is not only a very talented writer, but she kicks my butt and keeps me in line I was all over the place with this chapter before our little chat Thanks again girl! If you haven't read her story yet...you're seriously missing out! I love her Edward!**

**This is by far my longest chapter. 21 pages. Annnnnddddd...This is the chapter you've all been waiting for (well...most of you anyway)! THE LEMON! Please let me know what you think. Yes I wrote a bit of citrus last chapter, but this is my first full blown lemon and I'm nervous as hell! My goal is to hit 100 reviews by the end of this chapter! I'm at 74 now. Please help me out!**

**Disclaimer: This is only my original plot. All characters belong to the uber talented Ms. Meyers. I just like to play "Simon Says". Now...on with the story. See you all at the end.**

Bella looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was ready and waiting for Edward to pick her up. Tonight was the ball. She had to admit that she was a bit nervous.

She had never worn a designer dress before. It was a black, strapless floor length, sheathe dress. It was cinched in just under her bust to make her tiny waste look even smaller. She looked classy and elegant. Her four inch silver Christian Louboutin shoes peeked out from underneath whenever she walked.

Alice and Rose had come over to get ready with her. Her hair was swept up in an elegant French twist with tendrils falling around her ears. Her makeup was very subtle, just the way she liked it. Her lips had a light layer of lip glass, making them look plump and kissable.

As she waited for Edward, Bella became lost in her thoughts. She had done a lot of soul searching lately. She now knew who she wanted to be. Before Jake, Bella had been very independent and outgoing. She had friends and she enjoyed their company regularly. Once they had moved to Chicago, Bella threw herself into her work. She made time for no one. Not even her husband. Looking back, she wasn't happy they had moved away from her family. She was hiding in her work, telling herself that once she made a name for herself, she would focus on her marriage. She was lying to herself. She wasn't happy with Jake. Bella couldn't regret her actions though. Had they not moved to Chicago, she never would have met Edward.

Edward. Just thinking about him made her head spin. She cared deeply for him. She knew that now. Enough thinking about what other people thought. She had to live life for herself, and she wanted Edward. Over the past few weeks, Bella's moods and emotions had been all over the place. She hadn't been fair to Edward or herself at all.

Bella decided after meeting Esme and Carlisle, that she needed to see someone to help her get her head on straight. It didn't take long for her to realize her self-esteem was non-existent. The most difficult part she'd had to overcome was that a person made their own decisions. Yes, there was outside influence, but the final choice was up to the individual. She was still working on it, but she had indeed come a long way.

Bella couldn't believe that she was actually nervous about meeting Edward's parents. They opened their arms and their hearts to her and welcomed her as a member of their family. At the BBQ, Esme had actually gotten a bit teary-eyed to see how Edward and Bella interacted. If Bella were honest, she had actually fallen for his family just as she had fallen for him. Esme was like a mother to her, and they spoke often. Carlisle was gentle and kind, just like her own father. She was glad they supported their relationship.

A knock at the door brought Bella back to the present. As she opened the door, she found herself staring at the devastatingly handsome man standing in front of her. Her mouth went dry as she looked him up and down. Edward in a black tuxedo was certainly a sight to behold. His tie straight, his jacket unbuttoned, and his hair somewhat tamed, he stood staring back at her, a red rose held in his slack grip.

Edward looked at the vision in front of him. She was breathtaking! The dress hug her curves like a lover, her hair pulled up to show her graceful neck and shoulders. Bella's skin was like ivory, with a slight tint of pink. Edward loved to make her blush. It was one of his favorite things to do. He stepped forward into her apartment and grasped her hand in his. Passing her the single red rose, he shut the door behind him and leaned forward to kiss her gently. At least he meant to kiss her gently. The moment his lips touched hers, she sighed and he was lost. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him, feeling her fingers in his hair at the same time.

Bella's senses were filled with Edward. The feel of his lips on hers filled her with excitement. Running her hands up his hard chest, she ran her fingers into his soft hair, gripping it tightly. This caused Edward to deepen the kiss and swirl his tongue sensually with hers. Kissing Edward always felt amazing. Tingles flowed through her body. Sadly, she had to pull back and end the kiss. They were due at the ball in less than thirty minutes. The added height in her shoes allowed Bella to rest her forehead against Edward's chin, as they attempted to calm themselves.

Edward kissed Bella's forehead lightly. He pulled back and smirked at her.

"Bella, you look absolutely stunning!" He handed her the rose that had gotten a little squished during their "hello". Right on cue, Bella blushed.

"Thank you Edward. You look very handsome," she whispered. She left him standing in the foyer as she put her rose in a vase, and checked her makeup.

Edward held his arm out to her to take so he could escort his gorgeous date down to the limo. Walking through the lobby of Bella's apartment building, he noticed the looks of envy from every man they passed. Bella exuded confidence and she was sexy without trying. He was very lucky to have her on his arm.

He helped her inside, waving away the chauffeur. Once they were seated, side by side of course, he poured her a glass of crystal champagne.

"To tonight," he whispered, gently touching his glass to hers. They were staying at the Ritz Carleton this evening. They had never stayed with each other overnight. Edward knew she was nervous, he was too. He had booked a one bedroom suite, and hoped they would be staying two nights, not just the one.

"Yes, to tonight. To moving forward, Edward." Bella had butterflies taking up residence in her tummy. She was so looking forward to spending the night with Edward.

They sat in the back of the limo making small talk and sipping champagne, as they drove through downtown Chicago. They were meeting his family in the lobby. They wanted to enter together. Seeing as how they were hosting the event, they had to be the first to arrive.

Bella was a bit nervous, she'd never been to such a hotel, much less attend a ball. The heels were something she wouldn't have chosen for herself, but she'd practiced walking in them, and Edward promised to not leave her side.

Once the limo stopped, the chauffeur held the door for Edward and he climbed out and reached down for Bella. His family had already arrived and were waiting for them just inside. The lobby left Bella speechless. The huge fountain in the middle of the room was beautiful! She asked Edward if they could have their picture taken in front of it. As always, Edward indulged the wonderful woman at his side. But instead of looking at the camera, they were gazing at each other.

"Bella! You look amazing," Alice squealed as she hugged her. She was practically bouncing. Bella hugged her back and thanked her again for her help with hair and makeup. "No thanks necessary. Just the look on Edward's face is enough." Bella looked over her shoulder at Edward and sure enough, he was still watching her. Catching his eye, he winked at her with his smirk firmly in place. She blushed and quickly turned back to Alice, who was still talking.

"Alice, time to share the Bella!" Emmett pulled her away from her sister, giving Bella his custom bear hug.

"Emmett...can't...breathe..."Bella gasped. Emmett immediately put her down, but kept his massive arms around her.

"Sorry Baby B, just happy to see you." Emmett smiled, his dimples showing.

"I'm happy to see you too Emmett." Bella leaned over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Alright...alright...leave my date alone," Edward joked. He just didn't want to be away from her any longer than necessary. He took her hand and pulled her back to his side, where she fit perfectly.

They walked into the ballroom as a family and again Bella's breath caught. It was beautiful! There were white covered tables off to the side, with silver candelabras each holding six candles. The place settings were all white china surrounded by a mass of silverware. The black napkins were sitting in the center of the plate each one folded into what looked like a 3D fan shape. The chairs were covered in white with a black sash tied around each one. The chandeliers throughout the room looked like they were floating in mid air. The effect was absolutely stunning. Towards the back of the ballroom were long rectangular tables lined up with different items on them; the silent auction.

Edward had told her that his law firm had donated a seven night stay for two at the Bougainvillea Beach Resort in Christchurch, Barbados. It was a beautiful five star resort; all inclusive. Airfare was also included. Looking at the other items, there were yearlong golf club memberships for different country clubs, hot air balloon rides, airline tickets, sporting events season tickets, just to name a few.

Once the beautiful meal and the speeches were finished, the dancing began. This was what Edward was looking forward to. He wasn't planning on letting Bella go all night. He wanted to make sure that all the men who were watching her knew who she was with. He didn't get jealous, but the number of men who were staring at her with their jaws on the tables made him uneasy.

The orchestra started and Edward stood and bowed a little before Bella, making her giggle. Her tiny hand fit so perfectly in his. He drew her to him and escorted her to the dance floor. Placing his hand on the small of her back and pulling her close, he held her other hand to his chest. They stood so close together, that they were touching from hip to chest.

Edward leaned down and touched his lips lightly to hers. No words were necessary. They were in completely in tune with each other. The orchestra played on and they danced forever, neither wanting to let go of the other. Only one man tried to cut in and before the words even left his mouth, Edward actually growled at the man! He scurried back to wherever he came from.

Bella had to admit that Edward growling was a huge turn on. She had never felt so precious, so desired before. She skimmed her hand from his shoulder up to his hair and let her fingers tangle there. She loved playing with his hair. It was so soft. Their foreheads were resting together and Bella felt and heard him moan. She was expecting that reaction. He loved her playing with his hair as well. Edward started humming along with the orchestra and Bella closed her eyes, enjoying being this close to Edward.

All of a sudden, they stopped abruptly and Bella's eyes popped open. The music had stopped. It was time to announce who won in the silent auction. She didn't really want to sit through another hour of this and by the look in Edward's eyes, neither did he.

Edward released Bella from his hold and they walked slowly back to his family. He whispered to her as they walked, "Bella, would you mind terribly skipping this part? It's dreadfully boring. I just want to be alone with you."

She looked into Edward's face and nodded. It was all the encouragement he needed.

"Mom, Dad, I think Bella and I are going to call it a night. You know I can't stand this part." Edward shook his father's hand and kissed his mother's cheek. Bella did the same, although Carlisle pulled her forward into a hug and kissed her cheek as well.

After saying goodnight to Alice and Jasper and tracking down Emmett and Rose and letting them know they were leaving, the couple left the ballroom still hand in hand. Since Edward had already checked in earlier, they just had to make their way up to their suite. The elevator was taking way too long to suit them.

"Bella, I want you to know that I don't expect anything except to have you finally sleep in my arms. I don't want to-"Edward was cut off by Bella's lips against his.

"Edward," she whispered against his lips.

"Yes, Bella," Edward whispered back.

"Shut. Up." And with that, she kissed him again. She wrapped her arms around his neck going straight for his hair, and pulled herself up against him. Edward in turn ran his hands from her hips where they rested to her back and down to her ass. He pulled her impossibly closer and began to deepen the kiss. Just as Bella moaned, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Thank goodness there was no one waiting to get on! They would have gotten twice the show.

Edward used the key card to let them into the room. He took a big breath and let it out slowly as the door swung open. He was nervous but excited at the same time. He knew this was a big step, and although he was ready for it, he was quite anxious.

Bella stepped through the door, reaching her hand for Edward's as she went. She was again stunned at the opulence of the Ritz Carleton. Turning around though, she was stunned by the beauty that was Edward Anthony Cullen. This room had absolutely NOTHING on him. She smiled as the door clicked shut and ran her shaking hands up the lapels of his jacket. Slipping her thumbs under as she went, she pushed it off of his shoulders as she leaned up on her tip toes to kiss him once again.

Releasing her hips only long enough for his jacket to fall from his arms, he deepened the kiss, taking turns to nibble on her bottom lip and caressing her tongue with his own. He wanted her to set the pace. He didn't want to rush this at all. He had been dreaming about this night for months, the night they finally gave themselves to each other.

Next was Edward's tie. She pulled that from his neck and threw it behind her and started attacking the buttons on his shirt. She tried to pull that off, but forgot about his cufflinks. He chuckled at her impatience. Fighting with his shirt and shoes, he watched her as she shucked off her shoes as well. He was kind of sad to see them go. He never considered that he had a shoe fetish, but he liked the added height they gave Bella.

Edward was now only in his pants. Taking a step closer to her, he had to lean father down to kiss here. As her hands took up residence once again in his thick hair, he started unzipping her dress. They were both shaking at this point. The zipper reached the bottom. All that was holding the dress in place was them. They were standing so close together. Bella leaned back from him, breaking their kiss. Edward pouted a bit until he realized why she stopped.

He gulped as she took a step back from him, allowing the sexy as sin dress fall in a black waterfall to her feet. She now stood in front of him in a black, push up bra, and a scrap of fabric that passed as panties. Bella was very nervous and looked at Edward through her lashes as she bit her lip. Before she could blink, his eyes darkened with lust and she was swept up against him bridal style. His lips were attached to hers and he was striding towards the bedroom. She moaned against his lips as she clung to him.

He didn't want to put her down as he knocked the pillows and blankets on to the floor. After the bed was bare, he laid her gently on the bed, like she was breakable. She didn't want to let him go, but he didn't want to move from the bed again, so he reached up behind his neck and clasped her hands in his and brought them down to her belly. He removed his pants in record time and joined her, lying beside her.

"Bella, you are exquisite. Thank you." He looked into her gorgeous brown eyes and watched them soften. He leaned down and kissed her once again. He wanted to go slowly, but once he felt her lips against his, she grabbed his hair tightly and pulled him off balance. He landed on top of her with a groan. She took advantage of this and wrapped her leg around his and thrust her tongue into his mouth.

Edward ran his hands all over her body. Where ever he could reach. He needed to touch her. He craved it. When he touched her cloth covered breast, she arched against him, moaning. He used that opportunity to reach for the back of her bra, so he could release her to his hungry gaze, but he found nothing.

"Edward," Bella gasped. "It's a front clasp." She started to giggle as he sighed and quickly brought his hands back around. It's not that he hadn't seen or felt her breasts before, but he couldn't help himself. Her breasts were freed and Edward's eyes feasted on their beauty. Bella had such beautiful breasts. They were firm and perky, with rosy pink nipples. He looked into Bella's eyes as he lowered his head to her. At the last moment, he closed his eyes as his mouth closed around one nipple.

Bella again arched off the bed to try to get closer to him. Edward had one nipple in his hot mouth and his nimble fingers caressed the other. She moaned loudly and dug her nails lightly into his shoulders.

"Edward," Bella whispered, now lost in him. "More! God, please! More!" She was writhing on the bed, her hips now lifting to find the friction she desperately craved. Not wanting to disappoint his love, Edward's hand drifted down her flat stomach to the line of her barely there panties. He ran the tip of his index finger along the band before sliding it under at her hip. He started tugging down on one side. He moved to lean above her and still suckling her nipples, grasped the other edge and pulled them off and down her long legs.

Bella was now gasping and moaning raising her hips up to help Edward divest of her last article of clothing. She briefly wondered how he would like what she'd done. Yesterday, she'd gone to the spa and had a Brazilian wax. She soon got her answer.

"Jesus Christ Bella," Edward panted. "So fucking sexy." He ran his fingers over her bare mound. He had touched her before, but she'd always had a little bit of hair, neatly trimmed. Now though, he was pleasantly surprised, and was extremely turned on.

To show her just how turned on he was, he trailed light kisses down he stomach until he had her legs spread for him. Going agonizingly slow, he watched her face as he got closer to her pussy. When he drug the flat of his tongue from the bottom to the top and stopped the flick her clit, Bella damn near arched off the bed. She was tossing her head back and forth, moaning in pleasure. Edward went back for more, and as soon as he touched her, Bella's hand flew to the back of his head to hold him in place.

Bella felt Edward smirk against her. The man knew exactly what he was doing. He was driving her insane with desire! She had to hold him by his hair...she just had to. Her ran her other hand up her side and settled on her own breast. As she pinched her nipple, she felt more than she heard a growl. She looked down to see Edward watching her.

She felt his finger trail delicately on her slit, and then she felt herself being stretched by his fingers. Her breathing was now shallow pants.

"So close, Edward. Fuck!" She was thrashing on the bed as he fingered her.

To Edward, watching Bella cum was as close to Heaven as he'd ever been. He slid another finger inside her as he focused his attention on her clit. He didn't want to take time to talk to her, he just watched her pleasure.

Once he curled his fingers up and hit that certain spot, he found out that his Bella indeed had a dirty mouth!

"Jesus...Edward...OhmiGOD! FUCK!...don't...stop...fuck!" Bella was panting between each word, riding out her orgasm. He made sure to clean her thoroughly before making his way back up to her. Looking her in the eye, he licked his fingers clean. Edward was shocked when she grabbed his face and kissed him, cleaning her juices off his mouth.

"Bella...that was the most beautiful thing I've ever had the pleasure of seeing." He smiled down at her. "No pun intended."

Bella had never been able to laugh during sex, but she was pleasantly surprised with Edward. She found they could go from desire, to laughing, back to desire in a flash.

This time, it was Edward's turn. Bella wrapped her legs around his waist, and watching his expression, flipped around so she was on top, straddling him.

"Your turn," she whispered against his mouth. He grabbed her ass, but she purposefully wiggled away, both adding friction and teasing him. "I want to explore, now be good." With that, she winked at him and started placing hot, open mouthed kisses on his sculpted chest. Edward was happy with just touching her. But when he got to her hair, he wanted to be able to run his fingers through it.

"Bella, can we take the pins out of your hair please. I want to feel it all over me." Bella sat back up on his thighs and reached up to take the pins out. With her hands up behind her head, Edward couldn't help but bring himself up to feast once again on her breasts. Bella threw her head back and moaned as she continued to take her hair down. Once it was flowing down her back, she pushed on Edward's shoulders until he was lying flat on his back again.

Kissing and licking her way down Edward's chest, she made sure to rake her nails down after her. She knew he loved it. Finally reaching his boxers, she grabbed the waist band with her teeth, pulling a strangled moan from the man under her. She only tugged until his hard cock was free. She's jerked him off before, but this was the first time she'd gone down on him. She was unsure if he was going to fit. She decided to focus on the head of his cock and use her hand on his shaft.

It was Edward's turn to arch off the bed as she swirled her warm tongue over the engorged head of his cock. She tasted the pre-cum on the tip and moaned lightly, sending shivers through his entire being. Looking up at him through her lashes, Bella engulfed the whole head sliding her mouth down as far as she could.

"Jesus Christ! Please don't stop Baby! That feels so fucking good!" Bella wasn't the only one with a dirty mouth!

Edward couldn't believe the feelings coursing through him. He'd received his share of blow jobs, but he had never felt like this before! It had to be because of Bella. She made all the difference. He wound her hair in his hand, not to guide her, but just because he had to touch her. He sat up a bit, just to watch Bella take his hard cock into her mouth. And what a sight it was! Edward couldn't take anymore.

"Bella, please stop." Edward was not above begging for mercy. "I need to be inside you when I cum for the first time." She came up off of him with a pop and made her way up to his mouth. Kissing him, she lowered herself onto his hard shaft slowly.

"Fuuuuuuck!" They both muttered. Bella had to lie on top Edward for just a moment, just to catch her breath. Never had she ever felt this full. Again, Edward had let her set her own pace. All too soon, she needed to move. At first, it was a grinding of her hips against his as she kissed his chest. Reaching for his hands and intertwining their fingers, she pushed herself up so she hovered above him, still grinding.

Edward, watching her move, couldn't believe what he was feeling. He needed more.

"Bella, please. I need more! Please!" He was gasping, pleading. Anything to make her move. "Please don't tease me any longer."

Bella smirked down at him and sat up fully. If possible the feeling intensified. She took his large hands and placed them on her hips. She winked at him as she put her hands behind her on his hard thighs.

"Get ready Baby!" She had a beautiful smile on her face. "You wanted more, you get more." With that, Bella arched her back until Edward could feel her long mahogany hair tease his things. He felt his eyes roll back as she started to move in earnest. Edward could only hold on for dear life as she bounced on his cock.

Bella was breathless as the feelings overwhelmed her. The more she moved, the more she wanted. She never wanted this to end. Edward released hip her and his thumb immediately found the little bundle of nerves. It only took two swipes against her and she exploded in ecstasy.

"Edward! Oh! God! I'm cumming!" Bella was actually screaming. She wasn't a screamer. "Please, oh...f-f-f-uck! Jesus!" That was all Edward could make out. The rest was incoherent moans. Needing more again, he flipped her quickly on to her back, without leaving her hot little pussy. He leaned down and took her mouth with his and brought his arms under her legs so the bend of her knees were at his elbows.

"My turn Bella. Cum with me. I need you to come again," Edward begged the stunning woman beneath him. He leaned up and grasped her upper arms and slammed into her. Usually Bella was never able to cum once, let alone twice in one night. She didn't even know if she could. As Edward pounded into her relentlessly, she found that feeling starting again. In the position she was in, she couldn't move, she could just take the pleasure he was bestowing upon her.

"Bella, you are so fucking tight around me," Edward moaned as she tightened around him. From this position, he knew he was hitting her g-spot again. "I want to feel you cum around my cock again." He watched as she started to shatter once more, still pounding into her as her orgasm took her. It only took him 3 more thrusts until he was spilling inside her. He'd never cum this hard.

Edward collapsed on top of her, careful not to crush her. When he made to move, she wrapped her limp arms around his waist and asked him not to move. They were still struggling to catch their breath when Edward heard her sniffle. He lifted his head to look into her eyes and was surprised that she had tears flowing down the sides of her face into her messy hair.

"Bella, did I hu-"Edward rushed to ask.

"Happy tears Edward. I've never felt like this." Bells sniffled again. "I didn't mean to cry. It was...just...so..." she struggled to find the words that would adequately describe the euphoria that course through her veins.

"Beautiful," Edward whispered against her lips. "The word you're looking for is "beautiful". He smiled down at her and kissed her lips softly.

Bella reached up and ran her shaking hands through his sweaty hair. Looking deep into his eyes and swearing she could see her future there, she repeated...

"Absolutely beautiful." Her smile held all the promises of his future.

**Well? What did you all think? I'm biting my nails waiting for your reviews. Good or bad. That's fine. I use all of them as inspiration to better my writing. Since this is my first ever written piece since...I dunno...6****th**** grade, I'm probably a little rusty lol. I'm pretty sure I wasn't writing stuff like this ;) LOL. **

**Please leave me some love! You know you want to. Reviews make me happy! Remember...I'm aiming for 100! Only 26 to go! Click that little blue button!**


	12. Chapter 11

Hello again! I hope I still have some readers out there. I have to apologize. June was an extremely hectic month for my family. Graduations, and birthdays and vacations. Followed by a nasty case of writer's block. I tore this chapter apart 5 times now. Thanks to bethviolet again for helping me steer this in the right direction.

As usual, I own nothing. Stephanie Meyers owns all.

Please enjoy the next chapter.

Edward watched the stunning woman still sleeping beside him. He wanted to lean down and kiss her soft lips, but he also didn't want to wake her. After finally making love to Bella, it was like a gate had been blown open and they made love long into the night, only falling into an exhausted sleep a few hours ago. It was now only ten o'clock, but check out was at eleven and they were meeting his family for brunch soon.

He had never felt this way before. Sex with Bella was almost a religious experience. He had never felt so fulfilled; so sated. He had always felt hollow with Heidi. Sure, he'd gotten off, but the feelings coursing through him now completely astounded him. He knew he was in love, but he was now sure that he'd found his soul mate. There was no other way around it.

Bella starting to stir, stretching against him in the most tantalizing way, making his already hard cock harder.

"Mmmmmm...Edward," she sighed in her sleep, making his smile that much larger. He knew she talked in her sleep, and even though he knew she'd said his name more than once, it always brought a smile to his face knowing that she was dreaming of him.

Giving in to temptation, he snuggled down a bit farther and held her to him a bit tighter, kissing the top of her head, his hand still lazily caressing her back.

"Bella...Sweetheart, it's time to wake up," he whispered as he started to nibble on her ear lobe.

"Ugh, I don't want to. Let's just lay here and sleep the day away," Bella mumbled, turning her head to give him better access. Her hands started roaming across his chest and stomach. She loved having the freedom to touch him at her leisure. He had an amazing body and she'd worshipped it thoroughly during the night.

"I'll make you a deal Beautiful," Edward murmured as he continued his exploration of her neck. "I'll call downstairs and tell them to add another night to our stay as long as we get up and get ready to meet my family for brunch. Then, we can spend the day however you choose." He now had her underneath him as he ground his erection into her hip.

"Also, since we're not in a hurry to pack up and leave, we can have a nice, "hot" shower...together." Edward looked into her eyes before leaning down to kiss her.

"Deal," Bella shouted, pushing him away as she covered her mouth. "You call the desk, and I'll uhh...be right back." With that, Edward watched her streak naked to the bathroom, still with her hand covering her mouth. He threw his head back and laughed at her.

'_Silly girl," he mused. 'Thinking I would care about morning breath.'_

As he was settling things with the front desk, he heard the shower turn on, so he hung up quickly, almost cutting the clerk off. He walked into the bathroom, being met by a wall of steam. He could make out Bella's silhouette through the glass. She had her head tilted back and her hand were running through her hair, making her back arch and her breasts stand out, as if almost begging for his touch.

'_She's going to be the death of me,' he thought. 'But FUCK! What a way to go!'_

Bella knew he was watching her and she made sure to tease him. She already wanted him again, although she had no idea how she could. They'd made love 4 times during the night and by rights, she should be completely exhausted and sore. She wasn't. She wanted him again. She wanted Edward always.

"Are you going to stand there all day and watch me?" she taunted him further by running her hand down her stomach toward her aching pussy. "I thought we had to meet your parents soon."

Edward had had enough. He ripped open the door and practically jumped into the shower with her. In seconds he had Bella up against the cold tiles, making her yelp. He leaned down and crushed his lips to hers, desperately needing that connection once again.

"Naughty girl, I'll teach you to tease me." He needed her. Craved her. And now...he had her right where he wanted her. "Put your arms out and place them on the ledge Bella." He was in a demanding mood and he would not be denied.

Once she had obeyed him, he kissed her one last time before trailing down her breasts, her stomach and finally the apex of her thighs. She was already mewling like a kitten. Looking up at his hot as fuck girlfriend, he smirked pulling one of her legs up and over his shoulder as he got himself comfortable on his knees. When he leaned forward and ran his nose against her mound, her noises began.

"Oh God, Edward. Please." Bella was already writhing in anticipation. She couldn't wait to feel his tongue once again. Her breathy moans set him on fire. Without any further teasing, he dove into her sweet pussy, tasting her arousal on his tongue as he lapped at her.

Bella's hand flew immediately to his hair, holding him to her as she still held on with the other. She wasn't going to last long with him attacking her like this.

Edward wanted her to cum hard and fast before taking her, so he added two fingers inside of her as he focused his attention on her clit. She was close already, and he knew it, so he turned his fingers and curled them forward, hitting her G-spot. He knew her body so well already. She grabbed his hair tighter and ground her pussy into his face and she stood almost on tip-toes.

"Edward, Jesus. So...good." She was breathless. "Please."

"That's it baby," he groaned against her. "Cum for me." The vibrations of his words and groans were all she needed and she reached her climax.

"Oh! GOD! Ed-ed-ward!" He grinned as he watched her cumming. She was absolutely beautiful. He wanted to see that every day for the rest of his life. Before her orgasm was finished, he put her leg down, got up and spun her around. He took her hands and slapped them against the tiles, and lifting her hips to him, he thrust his cock deep inside her.

FUCK! EDWARD!" Bella was already screaming his name and he loved it. They'd made love last night. This morning however, was all about need. This was fucking...hot and intense.

He grabbed her hips and held her still as he slammed into her rapidly.

"You feel so good around my cock Bella," he roared. "Fuck! Take it!"

Bella hadn't seen him like this before. He was totally out of control. She loved it! This was amazing!

"Fuck! Harder Edward!" Edward was shocked that she wanted it harder. He held her hips so she couldn't move and indeed gave her exactly what she wanted.  
>"So...close." After that, all he could make out were her moans and pleas to help her cum. He held her hips steady, reaching around and flicked at her clit. That was all it took and she was screaming his name once again as her pussy tightened around his cock.<p>

Knowing that he needed to see her, Edward pulled out of her and again spun her around. He gripped her by the waist and put her against the now warm tiles. Wrapping her legs around him she was once again impaled on his cock.

Edward gripped her ass as he made her bounce on him. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and had his hair in a death grip. He loved that she played with his hair constantly. It was an extreme turn on for him. He buried his face in her neck as he plowed into her.

Bella could feel the telltale signs of another orgasm rushing to meet her and she actually saw stars. She'd never felt anything this intense before.

"Edward," she gasped. "God, so close...again." That was all she could get out before her inner walls tightened around Edward's cock once again. He leaned back and watched her as her orgasm overtook her. This was why he'd turned her around. He needed to watch her face.

Watching her face pushed him over the edge and he could feel himself spilling in to her. He couldn't even find words. He was gasping and groaning against her neck as his climax hit him with the force of a freight train.

Edward could no longer hold them up so he stumbled backwards to the seat in the shower. Once they had regained their breath, the whispers started.

"Edward, that was amazing. I've...never...felt like that before." She kissed the side of his head, her arms still wrapped around him.

Edward tightened his arms around her, afraid that she would find this side of him depraved. She hadn't said anything to the contrary, but he was a bit timid to face her now.

"Bella, I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," he whispered. His head was bowed so she couldn't see his face.

Bella couldn't allow this to happen. Didn't he understand how he made her feel? Didn't he get it? She'd never done anything like this before. She had to explain. Tucking two fingers under his chin, she raised his head up until she could meet his eyes. They were unreadable. He looked so sad. Why?

"Edward, baby, what's wrong? You've done nothing wrong. If I didn't enjoy what we were doing, I would have said something. Please, please don't ruin this." She leaned forward touching her forehead to his. "It was absolutely, without a doubt, the hottest thing I'd ever encountered." She smiled at him hoping that he would be able to see the truth in her eyes, in her face.

Edward really took a good look at Bella then. Her face was flushed, lips swollen from his kisses, and her eyes, they were sparkling.

"Bella, please be serious with me. Did I hurt you?" He was desperate to know.

"Edward, I'm perfectly fine. Better than fine. I feel wonderful. If anything, I should be asking you if I hurt you! I was pulling your hair so hard. Look!" Bella removed her hands from his shoulders, showing him the hair that was tangled in them. Edward just held her hands and kissed each in turn.

"I know that we have to talk about this, but just let me say this. I never want to hurt you. Last night and this morning...they meant so much to me. I've never wanted anyone the way I wanted you this morning, and...I guess -" he sighed, looking down once more. "I guess I wanted to mark you as mine."

Bella smiled, knowing that she wanted to do the same thing.

"Edward, please look back up at me. I felt the same way. I love you and I wanted to whole world to know it." FINALLY a small smirk; a spark of emotion from him! "It's perfectly ok to be rough with me sometimes. It doesn't always have to be wine and roses and soft music."

"I don't know what I did to deserve you Bella. I love you too." He kissed her lightly, resting his head on her shoulder.

"Edward, we'll talk about this more later. We have to get ready for brunch." She kissed the top of his head and grabbed his hand making him stand with her.

They helped each other wash up and soon they were dressed and ready to meet up with his family. Edward hung the sign on the door at the last minute to clean up the room so they wouldn't return to a mess.

He held her hand walking to the elevator and once inside, he leaned over and gave Bella a gentle kiss. He was still riding high from their night together. She ran her fingers through his hair once again, whispering "I love you" as they separated.

Walking through the hotel's restaurant, they soon heard Edward's family laughing and talking together. Alice of course saw them first and ran up to Bella and hugged her tight.

"Bella, you look so great this morning," Alice almost yelled, bouncing on her toes. "Edward, I haven't seen this smile in so long!" She hugged Edward as well giving him a smacking kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning Alice." Edward hugged his sister close letting go of Bella's hand for the first time. He watched as she was well received by his parents as well as Jasper. After the greetings were taken care of, the group of six sat and hand a leisurely brunch. They talked and laughed and had a wonderful time.

'_So this is what it feels like to have a large family.' Bella mused. 'Not too bad at all.'_ She watched Edward as he spoke to his father about going golfing the following weekend.

"Bella, since Edward, Dad and Jasper are going golfing, would you like to join us at the spa?" Alice asked her. They were becoming great friends, and even though she'd only seen Esme a few times, she felt close to her as well.

"I would love to Alice,' she responded with a big smile. "Thank you for inviting me." She looked at Edward again catching him watching her in return. He winked at her and turned back to the conversation he was having with his father.

Once brunch was finished, the other two couples had their own things to do. Trying to settle up the check, all three men argued over who was paying. Edward's father told them to "respect their elders" and snatched the check away, signalling for the waiter. Bella said goodbye to everyone and excused herself to the ladies room while Edward said his.

After finishing up, she checked her reflection in the mirror and almost didn't recognize the woman in front of her. Her eyes sparkled with mirth, she had a permanent smile on her face and she was almost glowing she was so happy. She dried her hands and walked out to meet her handsome boyfriend. She checked the restaurant again, just in case they hadn't left yet, but the table was empty; already cleaned up. Puzzled, she started walking towards the elevator when she heard his voice.

"What are you doing here?" Edward sounded a bit winded.

'_What in the world is going on?' Bella thought to herself._

She decided to take a chance and get a bit closer. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Edward standing with a tall, thin woman with beautiful strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes. His back was to her and she was running one hand up and down his arm.

'_Oh God! Not again! Why me?' Bella inwardly sobbed, already jumping to conclusions._

Then she actually thought about it. Edward treated her with such love and respect. There was no way he would cheat on her.

'_Grow the hell up Bella. Not all men are like Jake.' She berated herself. _

She had to trust Edward or they would go nowhere. She wanted to listen a few more minutes before making herself known.

"Edward, you know you want me. Why hide it? When I saw you last night at the ball, I knew we were meant to be." She looked up at him from beneath her lashes, a coy smile on her face.

'_I know Edward wouldn't cheat on me.' _Bella's faith grew rapidly. _ 'He is an honorable man.'_

"Tanya-" Edward started to speak but he was cut him off by the fingers of her other hand, being placed over his lips. He moved her hand from his face quickly, stepping back away from her. She could tell by the tone of his voice, just saying that one word, that he was exasperated.

'_Tanya?...Tanya...Why does that name sound so familiar?' _Bella pondered while continuing to watch the scene before her.

"Edward, baby, listen to me."

'_Baby? Who the hell does she think she is?' _

"You didn't bother to stop our kiss, and you enjoyed my previous...advances." The woman named Tanya winked at Edward, running her tongue along her bottom lip, staring at Edward's mouth.

'_Kiss? Oh my God.' Bella was pissed now. _

"Listen to me Tanya. You kissed me. You caught me by surprise. I thought you were my girlfriend." Tanya scoffed at him, now glaring, but not removing her hand. "As for your previous advances, they were not encouraged. Seeing how you would try to accost me at the office-" Bella stopped listening at this point.

'_The office...Tanya...advances...the office...THE OFFICE? TANYA? The woman who slept with her ex-husband? HOLY SHIT! That's it! I've had enough.' _

Bella walked around the corner and cleared her throat, her stance defensive, arms crossed over her chest. Edward swung his head around and seeing Bella, sighed in relief. She could see it in his eyes. His whole face relaxed when he saw her. This made Bella feel a LOT better.

"Bella, baby. There you are. I was just saying to Tanya that I...was...here...are you ok?" Edward looked at Bella, but she was no longer looking at him. She was glaring at Tanya, who was now mimicking Bella's stance and glaring back.

'_Shit! How much did she overhear?' _Edward was worried about Bella. He'd never seen her look this pissed off before.

"Yes Edward, we're fine baby." Bella heard a low growl coming from the woman in front of her.

"Tanya? Is it?" She cleared her throat again, her voice low and deadly.

"Yes, and you are?" Tanya's eyebrow arched as if daring her to continue speaking to her. "You interrupted us. I was just about to ask Eddie here if he wanted to escort me to the bar to continue our uh...conversation." She winked at Bella, taking a step closer to Edward who quickly took a step back closer to Bella.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" Holding out her hand, she introduced herself. "My name is Bella Swan, formerly Bella BLACK." At Tanya's puzzled look she continued. "You know my ex-husband...Jacob?" Now it was Bella's turn to arch her eyebrow at the blonde.

Edward could only stand back and watch. He was speechless. He could tell the exact moment when Tanya finally understood. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"Uh, well...nice to meet you Bella." Tanya actually took Bella's hand in a hand shake.

'_How stupid can she be? Edward thought, cringing._

Once Bella got a hold of Tanya's hand, she hauled her forward to her. Tanya may have a good 5 inches on her, but Bella had the element of surprise. Bella was right in Tanya's face at this point.

"Tell me...Tanya." She looked at her in disgust. "Do you have ANY respect for anyone? Yourself included?" Bella let go of her hand and crossed her arms over her chest again, but by this point, Tanya was struck dumb. She didn't bother moving. Not an inch.

"Excuse me?" Tanya was shocked. She'd never been spoken to that way before.

"Well, it seems to me that a woman who would parade herself around first with a married man, and then throw herself at a man who's already said he has a girlfriend would have absolutely no respect. Not for herself or for anyone else." Bella looked Tanya dead in the eye.

Tanya was a bit intimidated by the smaller woman. She had to try to regain her ground. "Who do you think you are to talk to me that way? You don't look like someone either Jacob or Edward would associate themselves with, let alone sleep with." She tried to get the upper hand by belittling her. Looking into this woman's eyes though...she knew she was in shit.

Bella stood up to her full height, which was quite a bit shorter than Tanya's, and looked at Edward, who was still shocked speechless. She smirked at him and turned back to the woman in front of her, ready to say her piece.

"Listen, Tanya," saying her name sweetly, underlying venom in her voice. "I have only three things to say to you." Tanya, stupidly thinking she had gotten the worst of it already from this mousey woman, quirked her eyebrow with a sneer, waiting for her to continue.

"Number one, how many stuffed animals did you have to kill to look that God-damned ridiculous? I mean seriously, look at yourself. It looks like you skinned a bunch of teddy bears at Toys R Us." Tanya was wearing a "fur coat", although it indeed looked like the innards of stuffed teddy bears. It was ratty and old, and to be honest, it had a bit of a funky smell to it. It looked like the "dress" the white witch wore in the movie "The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe".

"Listen bitch! I don't know-"Tanya was outraged, but Bella cut her off, clearly on a roll.

"Number two. MY Edward wouldn't fuck you with Jacob's dick and him just pushing. Honestly, is there any tread left on the tire at all or is it like tossing a hot dog down a hallway? You look like a woman who's been around the block at LEAST a few times...if you catch my drift." Bella winked at her as she heard a cough from beside her. She couldn't afford to look at Edward now...she'd either crack up laughing or start crying. She couldn't let the skank in front of her sense any weakness or the tables would be turned quickly.

Tanya's face by this point was a dark shade of red. She was absolutely furious. Who was this woman to judge her? She wanted to beat the hell out of her. Unfortunately, just like Edward, she was struck mute. She couldn't find her voice at all. She couldn't understand why Edward would let her speak to her the way she was. She'd always been nice to Edward. She would have done anything for him. ANYTHING! Didn't HE understand?

"And number three...and listen to me good bitch, because I'm only going to say this once. Stay away from MY Edward. He's mine. You may have been able to entice my lying cheating scum of an ex-husband over to the dark side by your overused pussy, but Edward...MY Edward...that's another story. Stay. Away." With that, Bella's shoulders relaxed and she smiled sweetly; like sugar wouldn't melt in her mouth. She turned to a still stunned Edward and held her hand out.

"Baby, do you want to go back to our room and finish what we started this morning?" She winked at him and blushed a bit. "You know, we were enjoying it until we had to leave for brunch with your FAMILY." She reached out and took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together tightly.

She spared Tanya one more glance. The stupid bitch was still speechless.

"I can't tell you how great it is to find an insatiable man like Edward." She tilted her head to the side like she was confiding in Tanya. "We simply can't get enough of each other." She giggled a bit and turned to walk away from the woman, hoping and praying to never set eyes on her again as long as she lived.

Edward looked at his amazing girlfriend and cleared his throat.

"Bel- ahem-Bella?" Edward whispered. Just then the elevator opened, allowing them to step inside.

"Yes Edward?" Truth be told, she was a bit nervous, as she looked up at Edward through her lashes, biting her bottom lip. When she caught his eye, she knew she had no reason to be.

Edward turned to her fully and lightly grasped her hips in his hands, tugging her closer.

"That was by FAR the hottest fucking thing I have ever seen in my life!" Edward leaned in to kiss her passionately as the elevator doors closed. "I love you." Bella giggled in response, reaching her hands up around his neck, embedding her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Neither paid any attention to the shrieking they heard as they turned their attention back to each other, where it belonged.

**Another quick note. I hope you all liked this chapter. I wanted to show a different side to Edward. A sexy side. I also wanted you to see Bella growing up and trusting Edward. Not to mention her standing up for herself and not being a sniveling wimp!**

**Bella's confrontation did happen. To me. Not word for word, but it did. Good thing my husband and i have a very solid relationship, and I have a sarcastic, sharp wit **

**I also want to give you all a rec. If you're not reading "His Cimmerian View" by WeeKittyAndTAT, then after reviewing (PLEASE), look it up. It's an amazing story! Drama, romance, friendship, and angst. Extremely well written! I love it.**

**Now please show me that you forgive my absence by sending me a review **


	13. Chapter 12

Yes, it's true...I'm back. I cannot apologize enough for leaving you all hanging the way I have. Weddings, sickness, and a severe case of writer's block almost killed me!

Thank you to bethviolet for kicking my ass back into gear. We worked long and hard to find a story line that I was satisfied with. I didn't want the same story line just different words for my fabulous readers!

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing! All belongs to Stephanie Meyers. I just make them dance for me for a little while

Please enjoy my new chapter!

Once Bella and Edward returned to the hotel room, he noticed that his beautiful girlfriend was once again quiet and reserved.

'_What is going on inside that wonderful mind?' _One of the big draws to Bella was her sharp wit and even sharper tongue. He had planned on continuing what they started in the elevator with that amazingly hot kiss.

Watching Bella tear Tanya to shreds was a huge turn on to him. He's always disliked Tanya. The only thing she was interested in was sex and money. She'd chased him until Jake was hired, and she thought he was a lawyer as well.

'_Shows just how intelligent she was. They worked in the same office and she'd taken outgoing mail to him in the mail room.'_ Edward internally chuckled.

Deciding to break the ice, he took Bella by the hand to the small table by the window.

"Bella, sweetheart, are you ok?" Edward was almost afraid of the answer. When Bella lifted her eyes to look at him, he breathed a sigh of relief. Bella was biting her lip, but because she was trying to keep herself from laughing, not because she was upset.

Bella wiped at the tears that streamed down her face. She couldn't believe that she'd told Tanya off the way she had. She felt liberated, like she had bitch slapped all the women Jake had slept with. She knew that wasn't the case, but it still felt amazing.

Finally, she was unable to hold it back any longer and huge belly laughs broke free from her. Holding her stomach and trying to keep the tears at bay, Bella slid to the floor, still laughing.

Edward watched his amazing girlfriend in shock. Jaw dropping, bug-eyed shock

'_Uhh...what?' _He just couldn't form a complete thought.

"Did...you..." Bella gasped out, trying to speak. "Did...you...her...face." She gave up, lying back on the floor, giggling. It was hopeless. She couldn't control her laughter.

Finally Edward leaned back in his chair as Bella released the tension of the last few months. He loved her laugh, and to see her laugh so freely, so unrestrained...was remarkable.

After a few minutes, Bella was able to catch her breath, and she stood up to excuse herself to the bathroom to clean herself up. The tears from her laughter were sure to have left long dark marks on her cheeks from her mascara, and her nose had been running as well.

As she looked at the woman in the mirror, she was happy to see herself. Her OLD self, The Bella before Jake had tried to break her. The sparkle in her eyes was back. She ran out of the bathroom to see Edward standing from the chair warily. She jumped at him and wound her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

'_Thank God he's so strong, or this may have ended badly,' _Bella giggled once again. Without giving him time to recover, she covered his full mouth with her own, moaning at the feel of his body against hers.

She teased his mouth with her tongue and was immediately granted entrance. While their tongues battled for dominance, Edward carried her over to their bed. He sat on the edge and she brought her legs from around him.

Without breaking their kiss, he scooted his body back to the middle of the bed and leaned back, bringing her with him. He loved this side of Bella, and took advantage of her playful nature.

Bella crawled up Edward's body as he leaned backwards, and straddled his waist. Tugging on the end of his shirt, Edward sat back up so she could remove it. Breaking the kiss for the briefest of moments, she tossed the shirt over her shoulder, not caring where it landed. Once he was free of his, Edward attacked Bella's clothing. He was so aroused, his fingers trembled; he couldn't grasp it properly. Growling, he grabbed her collar and ripped her shirt down the middle. He started pulling it from her body, but decided to keep her arms trapped inside.

Bella watched Edward as he reached around and freed her breasts. Pushing the cups up over her head, she was further trapped by her clothing, leaving her upper body exposed to his hungry gaze.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are Bella," Edward growled at her. "Your breasts are amazing, so full." To make his point, he placed both hands under her breasts and pushed them together. Glancing up at her, he ran his tongue across both nipples. He pulled back to blow on them, making them harden immediately.

Bella, stunned by Edward's actions, threw her head back in ecstasy, moaning. She started to grind her throbbing pussy against his erection, needing the friction.

"Edward, please..." Bella was gasping as Edward sucked each peak deep into his mouth, his hands reaching down to grasp her hips, desperately seeking the friction himself.

"Please what Bella? What do you want Baby," Edward groaned. He brought his hands around to unbutton her jeans and tug at the zipper, his mouth never leaving her breasts. Feeling Bella grab at his forearms, digging her nails into him, freed the beast roaring inside him.

"Fuck me."

That was all Edward needed to hear. Pulling her shirt the rest of the way off and tossing her bra away, he flipped Bella over jumped off the bed, tearing her jeans and panties from her body. Placing his knees on either side of her legs, he prepared to worship his own personal goddess.

Bella sat up immediately and yanked hard at his belt, pulling at the zipper of his pants with her other hand. Once his belt was hanging, she attacked the button, raising up on her knees and kissing her way along the top of his pants.

When Edward tried to push her back down so he could rid himself of his remaining clothes, Bella just looked up and him and shook her head. Thrusting her hand into his boxers, she grabbed Edward's pulsating cock and freed him to her searching mouth. Without a word, she took as much as she could into her mouth, not stopping until he hit the back of her throat.

"Jesus Christ Baby, what are you doing to me," Edward gasped out. It was all he could do to grasp her hair with one hand and rest the other on her shoulder. He was helpless.

From this vantage point, Bella couldn't see Edward's face. His head was thrown back, one hand tight in her hair, his other hand rubbing her shoulder. Hearing him moan because of her caused a heated rush from her pussy.

Finally, Edward gasped, "Bella, please. I want to come inside you." Letting his engorged cock slide from his mouth, Bella looked up into his dark green eyes. They were so dark! He tried to push her on to her back, but again she resisted.

"No."

He looked down at Bella, trying to figure out what was going on. The look in her eye was one of pure lust, her eyes almost black. When she winked at him, he knew.

Edward's huge smile answered Bella's unspoken request. She smiled at him in return.

"Your wish my love, my command," he whispered to her. He moved back down her legs until she could free hers. Once Bella was able to move, she brought herself up to her knees, mirroring Edward's position.

Looking him in the eye, she leaned forward and gave him a loving kiss. Quite different from their other actions that afternoon. Edward wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight to his naked flesh.

As he deepened the kiss, he manoeuvred himself so he was once again under the love of his life. Bella ran her hands across his broad shoulders, down his arms until they were clasping hands on either side of Edward's head.

Finally breaking the kiss, Bella began kissing and nipping her way from his chin to his ear. He could feel her hot breath on his ear as she ground her hot pussy against his cock. Just as he was about to beg, he heard her whispered words.

"Edward," Bella whispered as she nibbled on his ear. "I want you. I've never wanted anyone like this."

"Then take me my love," were the only words Edward could muster. He was writhing under her, completely under her spell.

Hearing what she needed, Bella let go with one hand to trail lightly down Edward's torso, stopping to tickle lightly at his hips, causing Edward to thrust up at her, growling darkly.

She chuckled in response as she grasped his rock hard cock, and sitting up so she could line him up with her dripping pussy, she impaled herself, hard.

"Jesus Christ Bella," Edward shouted. Bella sat still for a moment, head back and her hair lightly tickling Edward's legs.

When she could no longer remain still, Bella started shifting back and forth, teasing Edward. After a moment, he grasped her hips tightly in his hands and began moving her up and down on his cock.

"Like this baby," Edward murmured, smirking up at his fuck hot girlfriend. He loved her confidence.

Moving her hands behind her to rest on Edward's thighs, Bella's breasts moved with her as she bounced on Edward's cock. Every time. I was always like this. This feeling.

Knowing Edward would take the initiative, she changed positions so her breasts bounced in Edward's face, as she rode him harder, craving their release. She wanted desperately to feel Edward cum inside her.

Feeling his mouth on her breasts once again, she screamed his name as let go, feeling him cum with her. As they slowed their movements, Bella lay down on top of Edward.

"Edward, I love you. I honestly and truly love you." Edward could feel the tears dripping on to his chest. "You've been so patient with me, but no more. I feel free. I only want and need only you."

Edward was ecstatic. He had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. He had just been so sure that it would be an ice cream and tears kind of moment.

"Bella, I love you. You're it for me. I want you with me for the rest of my life. I want and need only you." He repeated her words back to her.

Bella lifted her head and looked down at Edward. Their matching smiles and rapidly beating hearts saying more than words ever could.

"Edward, this is the real me, the...old me, as it were. I was never that clingy, self conscious, needy woman." Bella wiped at her eyes. "I was independent. When I found out about what happened, I withdrew into myself. I wanted to not exist."

Edward opened his mouth to argue, but Bella put her hand gently over his mouth.

"Edward, not in that sense of the word. I was humiliated. I felt like everyone knew. I questioned my self worth, my sexuality." Bella stopped talking as Edward's body moved with his laughter.

"Bella, you never need question that. You know that there are no words for what we share. You, Isabella are the love of my life. I'm so glad that you are coming out of your shell. I can't wait to see what is in store for us. I love you."

Bella, looking into Edward's eyes and seeing only the truth, smiled down at him and said,

"Hi, I'm Bella Swan, and you, Edward Cullen are it for me." With that, she leaned down and lightly touched her lips to his.

"Bella Swan, a pleasure to meet you. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for us. We're going to have an amazing life together." Edward ran the back of his knuckles across her cheek lovingly.

They lay together curled up, content and secure in their love, knowing that whatever was thrown their way, they could handle it.

Dialing the number that had been long ago saved in her speed dial, she lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello," the surly voice came through the lines. She smiled widely, knowing nothing could stop her now.

"Hello," the gruff voice came again. "Who the hell is there?"

"Jacob, Tanya here. Long time not talk." He could hear her smirking through the phone.

"What the fuck do you want Tanya? I have nothing to say to you." He was about to hit end when he heard the words he never thought he'd hear again.

"Isabella Swan." It sounded like she was growling.

"What about her? We're divorced remember? I fucked it up by fucking you and half the other skanks at the office." Jacob was done listening to her bull shit.

"She's got something I want. She's got something you want. You didn't bother to change your number, so..." Tanya trailed off.

"So? What?" Jacob was now hanging on her every word.

"So...obviously, you were waiting for her to come to her senses and take you back."

Jacob sat upright in his ratty old recliner. After losing his job for misconduct, he couldn't find another well paying job. He was waiting tables at a dive of a bar. He needed to get back on his feet.

"I'm listening..."

Please don't kill me! Chapter 15 is almost finished!

So Bella and Edward are finally on the same page. They know they are the one for each other. Bella's more confident. Gone is the weak woman she appeared to be.

Please...save my sanity and review. I need to know what you think


	14. Chapter 13

Well...I'm back. I could tell you that RL kicked my ass, which is true, or I could tell you that I had writer's block that was the size of Emmett, which again is true. Or..I could beg for forgiveness, which again...I'll do. But I would rather give a huge shout of to my beta...bethviolet. She is amazing! I brain stormed with her for hours about my story. I was afraid it was becoming...cliché.

But...then she explained that no matter what...my story deserves to be told..just as everyone else can tell their stories. So...here I am. I ripped this chapter apart 4 times..and to be honest...I'm not completely happy with it. It didn't flow as it should.

Please...be kind I'll see you at the bottom.

Bella was sitting in her office editing a new chapter one of her clients had sent to her over the weekend. She loved the flow of words. The writer just had a way of expressing themselves that spoke to her on a basic level.

Reaching around her computer, Bella grabbed her bottle of water. It seemed lately that it was all she could keep down. Since the weekend of the gala, she'd been feeling tired, weak, and nauseated. At first, she thought she had caught a flu bug from her coworkers, since she worked mostly at the office these days; but no one seemed sick. She didn't notice anyone missing any time from work.

She'd even thought about taking a pregnancy test, but she'd gotten her period. She hadn't told Edward how poorly she was feeling, but she knew he was suspicious. She hadn't been spending as much time with him as she usually did. Lately, after work and a light meal, she crashed for the night. When she woke up, there were always a slew of text and voice messages. After 5 days of constant nausea and sleep, Bella decided that a visit to the doctor was in order.

Sitting in the waiting room of her GP's office, Bella sent Edward a message asking him to meet up with her at lunch time. She hadn't seen him in almost a week, and she missed him. She received his reply just as she was walking into the exam room.

'_I can't wait Love. Our usual spot at our usual time. ILY'_

Bella sat reading an outdated 'Reader's Digest' when her doctor entered.

"Good day Bella," Dr. Garrett greeted her. She always had a smile on her face. Her bedside manner was amazing.

"Hello Dr. Garrett," Bella returned, smiling back at the young woman. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

The doctor looked through Bella's charts and waited for her patient to tell her what was going on.

"I've been feeling exhausted lately." Bella frowned as she recounted all that she'd been feeling. "I am worried that there may have been a problem with the STD testing. I know I've been here twice since I found out about Jacob, but what if it hadn't...hit me yet?" Bella was quite worried.

Dr. Garrett looked at her thoughtfully and asked her the usual questions. Bella answered them all honestly, telling her of her recent sexual activity, and oh what activity it had been! She told Dr. Garrett about her period having just finished, although it had been quite a bit "lighter" than she'd ever been before.

As Bella lay down on the exam table, she chewed her bottom lip, still worrying. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear her doctor speaking to her.

"Bella...Bella?" Dr. Garrett shook her gently, trying to get her attention. Once she had the young woman's attention, she asked her to give a urine sample.

"Bella, it could be possible that you have a bladder infection. They can be very nasty." She smiled as Bella scrunched up her nose in distaste. "I just want to rule that out before we go any further."

She passed Bella a little cup and a paper bag and directed her to the washroom. Finishing up, she walked back through the waiting room, not paying attention to whom else was there; she was in her own little world, worried that her husband had left her one last lingering "gift".

She sat back in the chair in the exam room, texting Edward as the doctor was checking for the possibility of infections.

'_Almost done here. I can't wait to see you. ILY' _As Bella hit send on her message, Dr, Garrett walked in with a smile on her face.

"Well, is that what's wrong? Do I have a bladder infection?" Bella's lip was paying the price for her worrying; she chewed it almost raw. The doctor looked into Bella's eyes and began explaining what was found.

As she left the doctor's office, she was again lost in her own world. She was confused as to how she found herself in this predicament. Again, she paid no attention to who was in the room. She had no idea the can of worms that had been just opened up.

~*~IBWaL~*~

Edward sat at their usual table at the little diner across from his office. Bella had to travel further than he did, but her schedule was also more open than his. He could be called into the office to meet with a client at any moment, where Bella could take her work home with her.

He ordered her usual drink, "Chocolate Glazed Donut" coffee with vanilla caramel creamer. Personally, Edward thought it was way too sweet, but Bella loved it. He stuck with his usual large black coffee, while he read the newspaper.

When his first coffee was gone, he signaled for a refill. As their favorite waitress, Maggie filled up his cup, the love of his life sat down across from him. Actually, "sat" was not correct. She "plunked" herself down in the chair hard and had a dazed look on her face.

After a moment, she still hadn't greeted him, and he began to get worried. He waved his hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention.

"Bella...Love?" Edward had grabbed her hand and was rubbing circles across the back of it. "Can you look at me? Please? You're starting to scare me."

Bella still stared off into space. Edward jumped up from his seat as a tear rolled slowly down her cheek. He squatted down in front of her and turned her face gently towards his, wiping the tear with his thumb.

"Bella," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "Please tell me what's wrong. What's going on? What did Dr. Garrett say?"

Edward berated himself harshly. He wanted to go with her, to hold her hand, but Bella laughed lightly saying that it was just a routine check up. That nothing was going on.

She thought she was careful, but he knew there was something. He was a bit angry that she was hiding things from him, but Bella would tell him when it was necessary. She was a strong independent woman.

Now though, he was a wreck. The woman he loved looked shell shocked, and he had no idea what was going on. He felt like he let her down.

'_I knew I should have just shown up at the appointment. Then at least I would know what was going on!' He thought._

Finally Bella blinked hard and looked at the man kneeling next to her. She looked at him curiously, as if she had no idea where he'd come from.

"Edward?" She cocked her head to the side, still looking at him.

"Bella. Thank God. What's going on? I'm freaking out here." Edward spoke in one long breath.

His breath stopped in his lungs as she really looked at him...FINALLY. Bella leaned forward and lightly pecked his lips with hers. He could feel her lips form a small smile against his.

"Edward," she sighed against his mouth. He was still worried. She was not acting like herself at all.

She sat up straight in her chair, still smiling at him and asked him to return to his chair.

"Edward, I need to tell you something." Bella wasn't quite sure how to tell him what the doctor had said, but she had to try. She'd had the feet knocked from under her and she was scrambling to regain her bearings.

"Bella, you can tell me anything. You know that." Edward was running his fingers through his hair madly, showing just how anxious he was. "Did the doctor...find...something?"

Bella cocked her head to the side once again. "You could say that."

Edward, finally losing his cool, spoke loudly to her, causing her to jump in her seat.

"For the love of GOD! Please! Just tell me!" Edward never raised his voice to her. He knew she hated it.

With tears coursing down her cheeks, she looked into her lap for a moment, before reaching for her purse. Taking something out, and drawing strength from deep within herself, she looked up into Edward's worried green eyes.

"I'm...pregnant...Edward."

Edward could hear nothing else around them. They were in a plastic, sound proof bubble. He could see her mouth moving, and he assumed she was still speaking to him.

_Pregnant._

'_My Bella is...pregnant.'_

He still looked at her. He was pretty sure he hadn't even blinked. Her mouth stopped moving, and she was watching him carefully. Like she was _afraid_ of him.

True, he had raised his voice at her, but he was worried, and distressed.

_Pregnant._

'_My Bella, my world...is pregnant.'_

Slowly, Bella reached out her hand to his. Never looking away from his eyes, she covered his hand with hers. It was cold as ice.

"Edward?" Bella whispered. He continued to look at her. No...through her. He couldn't see her.

"Edward, please, talk to me," she begged.

Edward still looked at her, shocked.

"Bella, I..." he trailed off, not knowing at all what to say. He hadn't been speechless before, but this small, tiny, slip of a woman knocked his world off its axis with just two words.

"_I'm pregnant."_

"Bella," he began again. "Are you sure?" He hadn't looked away from her eyes since those words left her beautiful mouth.

"Yes Edward. Dr. Garrett took both a urine test and a blood test to make sure." Bella rubbed his hand lightly.

'_His hands are still so cold. He doesn't feel like MY Edward.'_

"Ummm...I...what...I'm..." Bella chuckled quietly. It seemed that Edward was still speechless. She could empathize though. She had been the exact same way.

"Edward, the doctor says I'm-" Bella began, but she was cut off by Edward's next words.

"Bella, I don't think I'm ready to raise another man's child."

And for the second time, the bottom fell out of Bella's world.

Please don't kill me. I promise I'll fix it soon! Please send me a review...the make me happy and they also make me write faster


	15. Chapter 14

What's this? Another chapter? In the same night? Oh yeah I had to! I was being roasted alive lol. Many of you want Edward to hang. But...he's not out of the woods yet.

Disclaimer...I don't own Twilight...at all.

Edward watched Bella's face as the biggest load of horse shit ever fell from his mouth. He watched as the blood drained slowly, making her rosy, creamy skin seem pallid and pasty. He watched as the twinkle in her gorgeous chocolate brown eyes died. He watched as her normally straight and proud posture slump down into her chair. And he watched as she reached into her purse and pulled out 2 things. A twenty dollar bill to cover their "lunch" and an envelope with both of their names written on it in a script he was unfamiliar with.

Having lost her appetite and giving Edward the envelope with the first sonogram in it, she stood on shaky legs and without casting the love of her life another glance, she squared her shoulders and walked away. Out of the diner and out of his life. She would not force him to stay with her. For him to believe that the precious baby she carried was Jake's...it tore her to shreds inside.

She had already explained to him that she and Jake hadn't been intimate in the 2 months prior to their split. The only man she'd been with in months...was Edward.

She climbed the stairs to her apartment, her head down, tears falling. She had walked the entire way home, needing to think. Her cell phone had chimed three different tones all the way home. Of course, it rang...repeatedly. When she didn't answer it, it chimed with a new voicemail message. And when she didn't respond to the voice messages, she'd receive a chime with a new text message.

Bella didn't want to talk to Edward in any way, shape or form. She'd been tossed aside before and it had almost broken her. This time however, she was strong. She had someone who needed her.

Edward didn't stay long at the table after Bella left. He watched the love of his life, his very reason for breathing walk away from him; her head held high.

'_Oh. My. God! What have I done?!' _

It didn't matter who the father was. Blood was not everything. He loved Bella with all that he was. He jumped up and ran for the door, but in his haste he tripped over someone's bag and fell on his face, on the floor.

'_I deserve this. I belong on the floor with the other animals.'_

Maggie ran over to help him up onto his feet, holding an envelope in her hand. She grabbed him under the arm and pulled. When he was finally standing again, feeling like the piece of shit he was, she handed him the envelope.

"Hurry Edward, she walked towards the right. You may be able to catch her." Maggie smiled at him as he tried to pay for the mess he'd caused, but she brushed his hand away.

"Hurry Edward," she exclaimed. Without waiting for another word, he darted out the door to the right, trying to find the woman who held his heart in her hands and who carried THEIR child in her womb.

'_Our child. Bella is carrying OUR child. What the fuck have I done?'_

Tried as he might, he could not find her. He called, left voice messages, and send text messages. He called his sister, hoping against hope that Bella had contacted her. Nothing. He ran all the way to her apartment. He rang her buzzer. Nothing. He rang her neighbor's buzzer and without checking who was at the door, she let him in.

Edward ran up the stairs to her door and pounded hard.

"Bella, Baby. Please let me in. I was wrong. I love you. I know I was an ass. Please...forgive me."

Nothing. There was no noise coming from inside the apartment at all. He sat at her door all night, mumbling to himself about what an idiot he was, waiting for her to come home. She didn't return. He called her cell phone, and it went right to voice mail. She'd turned her phone off. He left message after message. He was ready to sleep on the floor in the hallway until the grumpy old guy across the hall kicked him out.

Little did Edward know that Bella was already home. She heard every last thing he said. Every message he left on her voicemail, every nasty name he'd called himself. Every apology he muttered against her door, every sniffle he tried to hide. She fell asleep laying on the floor against the door to the tune of his humming.

Bella woke with lots of creaks and cricks in her bones. The floor was NOT made for sleeping. It took her a few minutes to stretch her body out. Not feeling like staying inside today in case Edward decided to make a return trip, she took a long hot shower to help ease her aching body. As the water pounded against her skin, she cried for all that she'd lost.

'_At least we'll have each other,' _Bella thought as she rubbed her still flat belly.

Finally having gotten herself cleaned up and looking professional, she walked towards the door grabbing her jacket and keys on the way. Just as she was about to open the door, there was a knock.

Bella jumped away as if she'd been shocked. Her eyes flew to the peep hole as her hand flew to her mouth.

'_Oh God. What if it's Edward?'_

Standing up on her tip toes, she peeked at the visitor. Sighing in relief, she opened the door to a delivery man holding a HUGE bouquet of red roses.

"Isabella Swan?" The man looked bored.

"Yes?" she replied, looking nervously at the huge flower arrangement.

"Sign here please." The delivery man thrust a sheet of paper at her. She read it over before signing, hoping to find out who the sender was. Nothing.

She handed it back as "Johnny" (as labeled on his shirt) places the vase on her telephone table.

"Have a good day." He commented in his monotone voice, turning abruptly and walked out the door.

Bella looked at the flowers like they would explode at any moment. The roses were red and there must be 2 dozen of them.

'_Edward would send me red roses wouldn't he?' _Bella questioned herself. _'He SAYS he loves me.'_

She still hadn't listened to any of the messages or read any of the texts he sent. She was afraid of what they contained.

She turned the vase until she found what she was looking for. The card.

'_Please forgive me for being an ass. I love you. I will always love you. The news you have has made me the happiest man in the world."_

Bella regarded the card curiously. She was confused.

'_What had changed since last night?'_

She knew he sat outside her door for hours. She'd heard his voice. But...what did this all mean. Bella decided to think about this while she walked to work. The fresh air would help keep her mind clear.

When she arrived at her office, she was no closer to a solution than when she'd left. Saying hello to her coworkers, she walked down the hall and into her office. The first thing she saw when she entered was another bouquet of roses. This one however was a bouquet of roses in a rainbow of colors.

She turned the vase again looking for the card. Plucking it from the holder, she took a deep breath and read it.

'_You bring color to my world that I never knew existed. Please don't hide from me. I love you. I can't wait to share what we've created.'_

He'd sent two huge bouquets of roses to her, but flowers do not negate what he'd said. He'd hurt her deeply. Maybe she should talk to him. They have to at least be civil.

Turning her phone back on, she ignored the chimes for all of her new messages, both text and voice mail. She typed in his number and thought about what she was going to write.

She didn't want to fight. She wanted to be able to tell him what the doctor had told her.

'_Edward, we need to talk. Is it possible to meet today?' _She didn't know what else to say.

Immediately, her phone chimed back.

'_When? Where? ILY'_

Bella wasn't quite ready to return the sentiment, but she responded back.

'_1 hour. At Starbucks.' _She already couldn't handle the smell of coffee, but she could meet him outside. Maybe they could take a walk.

'_I'll be there. ILY'_ Edward didn't have to ask which Starbucks. They only ever visited one. They were both creatures of habit. Edward looked in the mirror. He looked like shit. There was no time to change though. No time to shower. At least he would look like how he felt.

He ran out of his building trying to pull on a jacket. His hair was a disheveled mess. He only had time to brush his teeth and run for it. He stopped at a little flower shop and grabbed a bouquet of wild flowers. Bella loved wild flowers. He would do whatever it took to make her happy again.

He made it to the Starbucks in just under an hour. He leaned against the building, trying to catch his breath. Raising his head, he locked eyes with his beautiful girlfriend.

'_Can I even call her that any longer?'_ He had to believe they were going to make it.

"Bella." He reached for her, but she took a small step back, her eyes questioning him.

He really looked at her, and noticed that she had dark bags under her eyes, her hair, while tied back, looked knotted and tousled. Her clothes were rumpled and her hands were shaking.

'_She looks as bad as I feel. I did that to her. Jesus!'_

He started moving again. He didn't reach out to her, but he walked slowly towards her again. He didn't stop until he was inches in front of her, breathing her in. Once again, his world was at peace.

Bella cocked her head to the side as she watched Edward come closer. His hair was a huge mess, like he'd been grabbing and pulling at it. His clothes were a wrinkled mess, his eyes were blood shot and the bags below them were dark.

'_He looks like I feel.'_

Bella tentatively reached towards his face, pausing when he closed his eyes and sighed. She started to pull away when Edward's hand shot up and grabbed her hand. He pulled it to his face and nuzzled her softly.

"Love, I've missed you so much." Edward's head bowed low, his eyes still closed. "I can't tell you how sorry I am for what I've said. I honestly didn't mean it."

Bella watched as the strong man in front of her humbled himself.

"Bella, I don't care about the parentage of the child you carry. This is OUR child. OUR baby. Blood doesn't matter. I just...I freaked out. I can give you tons of excuses, but none of them matter. None of them can explain my behavior."

Edward lifted his head and looked into Bella's eyes. They were brimming with tears.

"Edward, I...I don't know what to say." Bella had to clear her throat. His words, although the struck a chord in her heart...were just that. Words.

"I can appreciate what you're saying Edward, but you didn't give me a chance to even speak to you." Bella had to pull her hand from his so she could wipe the tears from her cheeks. "I...I just don't know how I can forgive you. You tore my heart out."

Edward let loose a sob, deep from his chest.

"Edward, we're drawing attention to us. Let's go for a walk." she reached down and grabbed his fingers, tugging him to walk with her. Once he was moving, she removed her hand from his and tucked them into her jacket pocket.

"Bella, please. I know I fucked up. I don't know how to make it right. Please...tell me what to do and I'll do it." Edward wasn't watching the sidewalk at all; he was watching the beautiful woman beside him.

Bella took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No matter what he did, she still loved him. She could understand, in a way, how he felt.

"Edward, please. Think for a moment. When we first met...what were the things we talked about?" She needed him to come to the conclusion by himself. She didn't mind helping him, but he had to think.

"Well, you told me about how you were ready for children, once you got your promotion." Edward was thinking hard to when they first met. He hadn't slept yet, and so much was riding on this one conversation.

"That's right...and..." Bella stopped walking and sat on a bench on the sidewalk.

"Umm...you told me that the reason you were waiting was so you could be at home with your baby and work from home as well, so as to not put a burden on your family." Edward knew there was something he was missing...but what was it.

"Yes..." Bella was leading him a bit, knowing that he was as exhausted as she was. She needed him to remember this.

"Oh! When I went with you when you got tested, you said that you were worried because it had been so long since you had had sex, that it was possible that any STD you may have contracted would be difficult to clear up because it had been such a long time since...you..and Jake...had...oh my God."

"There is it." Bella couldn't help but chuckle at the look on his face.

"You and Jake hadn't had sex for two months before you found out about...Fuck." Edward was ashamed. There was no way the baby Bella was carrying was Jake's. He fell to his knees in front of her.

"Bella. Oh. My God. Bella," Edward felt like he couldn't breathe. How could he have done this to the love of his life? He was an asshole.  
>"I'm an asshole Bella." His head snapped up when Bella laughed at him. It wasn't a nice laugh.<p>

"Yes, Edward. You ARE an asshole. I don't understand how you could have thought that I would try to pass another man's child off as your own." Bella glared down at him.

"I was just as stunned as you were yesterday Edward." Bella's voice was carrying now. She was getting loud. "You didn't see me make any outlandish claims though." Her hands were clenched in fists against her legs.

Edward, still on his knees on the sidewalk in front of her buried his face against legs.

"Bella, Baby. Please. Forgive me. I love you. I am so sorry." He sniffled against her. "I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

"Edward-" Bella sighed.

"It wasn't that I cared who the possible biological father was. I...I just...freaked out. I was scared. I-"

"You don't think I'M scared? I am. I was also so excited. You said you loved me. That I was "it" for you." Bella started to cry. "How could you say those things to me?"

"I...I don't know what to say Bella." His head hung in shame, Edward started to get to his feet. "I'll do whatever you want." He turned to walk away, his heart shattering and laying at his love's feet.

"So that's it?! You're just walking away?" The only time he'd heard his Bella this upset was when she walked in on Jacob that first night.

"Bella I don't know what you want me t-"

"Just...Shut...Up!" Bella jumped to her feet and stalked to Edward, pointing her index finger into his chest.

"You say you love me, that you didn't mean that shit that flowed so quickly from your mouth! You say that you'll do whatever I want!" He hands started flying around her head...waving wilding. "What I want from you is to make it up to me. Show me how you feel. Words are just those...words. Well let me tell YOU something Edward! Actions speak louder than words. And YOUR actions are not telling me you love me. They're telling me that you're a fucking coward. You're walking away from me!" Bella stepped back from Edward and felt in her pockets for the two cards from the flowers.

"Here! I thought you might want these back. These were actions Edward. You brought me wild flowers...my favorites...that was an action." Her hands were flying in the air again. "But you...first telling me all this shit...and then WALKING AWAY? That action blows everything away!" With that, she threw the cards in his face and turned on her heel, jogging back the way they'd come.

Edward, still shocked from her outburst, bent down and picked up the cards from the ground. He read them over...growing cold.

He took off at a run after her, shouting her name.

"Bella, wait...please. Baby...I didn't send these! Bella!"

Uh-oh! What's gonna happen now! Any of you forgive Edward even a little yet? Let me know


	16. Chapter 15

**WOW! You guys are blowing me away! Many of you want Edward to suffer! I'm going to show a little bit into his psyche in this chapter. Can you believe it? 3 chapters in 2 days?! That's gotta be a record for me! See what happens when you review lol?**

**I already have the next chapter outlined. I'm hoping to have it finished tomorrow night **

As Bella stared out the window at the police station, Edward sat down in a chair, his elbows on his knees, his head dropped low. How the hell had their lives gone to shit in just a few seconds. Bella still wasn't talking to him...not that he didn't deserve her silence, but he missed hearing her voice.

When he caught up with her after she threw the cards at him, he insisted that she allow him to drive her to the police station. They spoke with Sergeant Amun. He called the florist and found out that the person paid cash and took them at the time of purchase, which meant the person was in the city...and they knew where Bella lived and worked.

Right away, Edward suspected Jacob, since the cards mentioned "the life they created" and "her news made him the happiest man in the world", but Bella brushed it aside. She didn't think that he would try anything. Not after he promised he would stay away.

Of course, Edward and the police weren't so sure. The police were searching through the security footage and Edward was standing guard over Bella. He knew she was getting annoyed with him, but nothing mattered to him except her safety. He wanted to prove himself, and he wanted to make sure his actions showed his true feelings. He wouldn't allow his mouth to get ahead of his brain ever again.

Bella sighed as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. They'd been here for over 2 hours, but Edward wouldn't allow her to leave until they'd seen the footage from the flower shop. She thought back over the initial interview with Sergeant Amun.

'_Ms Swan, can you tell me why you thought Mr. Cullen sent you these flowers?' Sergeant Amun started in right away; recording their conversation, and taking notes._

_Bella sighed, not really wanting to answer this, but knowing it needed to be done._

"_Edward and I had a huge fight and I thought he was "sucking up". I thought he was trying to show me that he wanted to be with me." She was getting emotional again, and it really bothered her._

"_What did you fight about?" Another question, she didn't want to answer._

"_I had just found out that I was pregnant, and Edward thought..." Bella took a deep breath. "Edward thought that the baby was my ex-husband's." At this point, Bella had to dry her eyes with a tissue from the box in the middle of the table._

"_Bella, is it possible, at all, that your ex-husband is your child's father?" And just like that, Bella felt like all the air was sucked out of her lungs; out of the room. She reached for her bottle of water with a shaking hand, and forced herself to take a long drink. _

_Once she felt like she could breathe again, she looked right into Edward's eyes and told them both what Dr. Garrett told her only yesterday._

"_No. It's not possible. Jacob and I have been divorced for almost 6 months and we hadn't been intimate for two months prior to my finding out about his affairs." Bella forced herself to take another breath. "I am only three weeks pregnant._

_When Bella said this, Edward's face turned deathly pale, and his eyes started to water. She could see it in his eyes that he realized she had become pregnant the weekend of the gala. Their first time. _

"_Mr. Cullen? Are you alright sir?" Sergeant Amun looked worried. "Would you like some water? You're looking awfully pale." He raised his hand, and seemingly out of nowhere, another officer brought in a second bottle of water._

"_Mr. Cullen, place your head between your knees." The sergeant was now kneeling next to Edward, while Bella watched helplessly. She was a nervous wreck and it seemed that Edward was heading for an emotional breakdown._

"_Bella," Edward whispered. "Please, can I hold you?" He lifted his head and looked Bella in the eyes. She could tell that she wasn't sure if she would allow it, but he had asked anyway._

_When Bella looked down, Edward did as well. She watched as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope she'd given him yesterday. He slid his finger under the flap and gently pulled the sonogram picture out. She could only watch as his tears flowed down his face and dripped onto the grainy photo._

"_Ms Swan? Is it alright if we continue?" Sergeant Amun didn't want to push her, but he had to find out all he could in order to secure her safety._

"_Of course Sergeant," she whispered as she watched Edward still. He was running his fingers lightly over the little bean shape in the middle of the print. Looking back at the officer, she refused to wipe any more tears away. Tears cleansed._

"_Did your ex-husband ever hurt you? Be it physical, mental, emotional or sexual?" He watched her face very carefully. Sometimes, victims hid their abuse. Edward watched Bella closely as well. If Black had hurt her, he would end him. No doubts about it._

"_No Sir, he did not." Bella kept her head high and her eyes locked on the officer's. "The only thing he did was hide the fact that he was a mail clerk and not a lawyer. And that he fucked anything that moved."_

_Sergeant Amun almost choked on his water. She could hear Edward snicker into his hand._

"_Pardon my language, Sir." Bella could feel her face turning bright red._

"_Not necessary Ms Swan. I've heard MUCH worse I assure you." She thought he was sweet for trying to put her at ease. She didn't usually swear a lot, unless she was in bed with Edward._

'_In bed with Edward.' Would that ever happen again?_

_Bella sighed once more, turning her head and looking towards the window._

"_Just a few more questions Ms Swan. Can you think of anyone else who would like to do you harm?" Bella thought hard about that. She was always a fair person, she didn't try to hurt others, and she always had nice things to say about people...well most people._

_She looked at Edward, who was looking back at her, still holding the photo. She cocked her head to the side and silently asked him what was going through his mind._

"_What about Tanya?" Edward was thinking about loud. "Sir, we had a...confrontation with her the morning after the gala. She was a woman who worked at the same law firm as Jacob Black and she had an affair with him. She also tried to uuhh...make herself available to me both when she worked with me, and the day after the gala." Edward looked back down at the photo in his hand._

"_It's almost like he can't take his eyes off of it," Bella mused. She smiled a small smile and Edward looked up at her, almost as if he could sense it. _

"_What is "Tanya's" last name Mr. Cullen?" Sergeant Amun asked him._

"_Denali, Tanya Denali. She came to us straight from school. I would have to have my father check the files to find out which one." Edward looked right back down at his hands again._

_The door opened and another officer called out, "Sergeant, may I have a word please?" Without a peep, the officers left the room, closing the door quietly behind them._

"_Edward," Bella began her voice barely above a whisper. "What are you thinking?" She watched his face for any kind of emotion._

_He looked up at her with a look of anguish on his face. _

"_Bella, I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. I...I..." Edward sighed. "I fucked up...royally. Had I given, you the opportunity to speak instead of letting my insecurities take over, the news you shared with me wouldn't be tainted. We would be free to celebrate what our love created."_

_Bella sucked in a huge breath of air. She wasn't sure what to say._

"_Bella, I love you with all my heart and soul. I was so scared that this was Jake's baby that I'd have to share some little part of you with him. Not that the baby would be a little part...GOD...I'm fucking everything up!" With that...his head dropped back down into his hands._

"_Edward, please continue. I need to hear what you were going to say." That was the truth. Him running after her, being scared for her safety. He acted. There was no thought. There were no words. Just him...acting._

"_I was scared that he would try to work his way back into our lives. That...that...I wouldn't be enough. That...he would use this precious gift as a tool to work against us." She could finally see that for all his confidence and his swagger, Edward Cullen was insecure as well. He just acted differently. She wallowed, and sniveled...he shot his mouth off without thinking._

"_Edward...I-" She was cut off by his voice._

"_Bella, I'm so sorry. I can't say that enough. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you if you'll let me." He scooted off the chair and on to his knees in front of her. Almost like he was begging her to forgive him._

"_I love you so so much. And...I was so afraid of losing you. So afraid that you would want to raise this baby with "the natural father"...that I would be pushed aside and you would allow him to be in your lives...and not me." He lay his head down in her lap and wrapped his arms around her waist._

_Bella could feel his heart beating out of control against her legs. _

"_Edward. You..." Once again...they were interrupted. By Sergeant Amun this time. _

"_Mr. Cullen, Ms Swan, we need a little more information._

_Their talk was going to have to wait a bit longer._

That was over three hours ago. It was declared that Bella couldn't leave until they found out more evidence. It wasn't the police that requested it, but Edward. He was scared. If they had found out where Bella lived, what else did they know about her?

Since they were interrupted the last time, Edward and Bella hadn't spoken except to the officers. They both needed time to think. Edward was trying to figure out a way to prove his love to Bella. And Bella? She was trying to figure out if she should forgive Edward.

Yeah, he acted like a first class douche, but...now that she had some more information; she understood why he acted that way. Partially. He wasn't off the hook yet.

Finally, after four and a half hours of waiting and sitting on rock hard chairs, they had some information into who sent Bella the flowers.

"Ms Swan, Mr. Cullen, do either of you know a Kathryn Hunter?" Sergeant Amun asked as he swept back into the room.

"Umm...No I don't think so," Bella was trying to think if she maybe was a junior editor or an author. "I am pretty shy...so I usually only talk to my co-workers, and now Edward's family. When Jake and I moved here, we were virtually on our own."

Bella hated thinking about that time in her life. She had been so bloody lonely.

Edward's mind however was going a mile a minute.

"Do you happen to have a photo of this woman? Maybe we know her to see?" Edward surmised.

Sergeant Amun pulled out a photo from the security camera at the flower shop. Bella looked first. This woman looked an awfully familiar. But why? She studied her face a bit longer, and told the officers that while she did look familiar, she couldn't place her.

Passing the photo to Edward, she had just laid her head on her arms on the table when Edward jumped up shouting expletives. She jumped up as well, startled by his reaction.

"Jesus Christ!" Edward dropped the photo on the table. "This woman used to work at Cullen Family Law! She's another one of Jake's "women". She's the one he dropped Tanya for! What the holy fuck is going on?" Edward looked at Bella with a shocked look while Bella looked back at him equally as surprised.

All of a sudden, Bella's face turned bright red and she pressed her hand to her face. She looked at the officer, then at Edward as spots danced before her eyes.

"Edward?" She whispered; then her world went black.

**Ruh-oh Shaggy! Things are starting to heat up! No worries! I won't leave you with another cliffy for long You know the drill! REVIEW please!**

**I have to send of a Rec this week...you HAVE to read Shamrocks & Shenanigans by mathisson! AND the sequel Claddagh and Chaos! I am absolutely in love with these stories. She's an amazing writer! It's suspense, humor and romance all rolled into one big amazing story!**

**Until next time! Take care! **


	17. Chapter 16

WOW! just...WOW! You guys blow me away! I can't even count all the reviews I've received in less than 24 hours! That inspired me to write yet another chapter! You aren't seeing things...it's true. Another one! 

I feel that I have to clarify something in a previous chapter. Thank you to DoubleFate for pointing it out.

"Little did Edward know that Bella was already home. She heard every last thing he said. Every message he left on her voicemail, every nasty name he'd called himself"

then a little while later

"She still hadn't listened to any of the messages or read any of the texts he sent. She was afraid of what they contained."

Bella didn't listen to the voice messages, there was no need. She sat on the other side of the door inside her apartment listening to everything Edward had said. Although she listened, she was still shocked by what he said.

I was so excited that I didn't really keep that part clear lol. I was in the zone and didn't want to stop writing lol.

Anywho...without further adieu, here is the next installment.

Bella's eyes fluttered as she fought against the darkness that surrounded her. She could hear noises, and voices, but nothing familiar yet. She decided not to fight anymore and succumbed for just a while longer.

Edward sat beside Bella's bedside, never moving. He wanted to make sure he was there when she woke up. After she crumpled to the floor, Edward jumped to his feet and ran around the table to her. He sat beside her, just rubbing her hair from her face until the ambulance came. He wanted to ride beside her, but the EMT's refused.

As he drove to the hospital, he called Charlie Swan. He knew that if it were his daughter he would want a call if something happened.

'_His daughter. Was Bella carrying a boy or a girl?'_ Edward was thinking to himself all the way to the hospital. He had tried to keep up with the ambulance, but they were truly flying!

When he pushed the door open slowly, he found the love of his life lying in the small hospital bed. She had an I.V. attached to her hand and a heart monitor was beeping quietly beside her head.

Just as he was sitting down, a doctor walked into the room, examining Bella's chart. Edward stood back up and cleared his throat, startling the young woman.

"How is she?" He didn't bother with pleasantries; he needed to know Bella was going to be okay.

The doctor watched Edward closely, taking in his haggard appearance. She heaved a big sigh and ran her hands through her hair.

"Ms. Swan should be fine. From what we can tell, she's just fainted. I understand from the EMT's that she's been under a great deal of stress in the past 48 hours." Edward hung his head in shame. "Sir, we need to keep her calm and well rested."

"This is all my fault. I should have known not to stress her." Edward sat back down next to Bella's bedside and held her hand lightly.

"I'm not here to place blame sir. My job is to keep Ms. Swan safe. When she wakes up, I'll need to take a blood test as well."

Edward watched while the doctor took her blood pressure and jotted it down in her notes.  
>"How is it? Is it too high?" He was still very worried, despite the doctor's advice.<p>

"It's up just a tiny bit, which is normal given the circumstances." She closed the chart and looked up at Edward, smiling. "I'll be keeping a close eye on her."

Edward resumed his vigil at Bella's bedside. He ran the back of his hand along her cheek, kissing the hand he still held.

"Bella, I am so sorry. This is entirely my fault. I should have listened to you." Edward laid his head beside hers on the pillow. "I love you. I'm so so happy that you are carrying our child. No matter the parentage." He kissed her cheek lightly and felt her sigh.

He lifted his head and stared at her face, looking for anything that may have changed. Bella's eyes were still closed, but her brow was furrowed as if in deep though. When a small moan left her barely parted lips, Edward jumped up and slammed his hand on the call button.

"Come on Baby, please...open your eyes. For me?" He was not above pleading with her. She turned her head slightly away from him and he walked to the end of her bed, his hand trailing lightly down past her legs, keeping his eyes on her face.

"Bella, please...open your eyes." Edward whispered. The nurse and doctor came in, whispering between them.

"She moved, she...she moaned!" He was practically jumping up and down in excitement. "Does that mean she's waking up?"

The doctor smiled at his exuberance and spoke quietly. "It could be that she's waking up. Has anything else happened?"

Edward was still looking at Bella with a smile on his face. "No, just her moving in the bed and turning her head and moaning."

He felt rather silly now, but he was so excited that his love might be waking up, that he jumped the gun.

"I'm sorry, I was excited. I thought she was-"he trailed off as he heard yet another small moan for the woman lying in front of him.

Edward ran back over to the side of the bed, while the nurse and doctor watched. He ran his fingers through her hair again, and whispered his love to her and begged her once again to open her eyes.

Bella could hear someone's voice. It sounded like they were under water...like the teacher's on the Charlie Brown holiday specials.

She turned her head to tell whoever was talking that she was exhausted and needed sleep, when she finally heard the sweetest sound in the world. Her Edward was begging her to open her eyes, telling her that he loved her.

Using all of her limited strength, she forced her eyes open and tried to see her love. She had to slowly blink a few times, but finally, the fog cleared and she could stare right into Edward's sparkling green eyes.

"Edward," Bella whispered, as she lifted her hand to his face. Edward leaned down further so she wouldn't strain herself.

"Edward, I..." Bella stopped to clear her throat. Edward immediately lifted a small Styrofoam cup of water to her lips, and holding the straw steady, he watched as she drained it dry.

"Edward, what happened?"

When Edward tried to answer her, the doctor spoke up.

"Ms. Swan, you fainted. How are you feeling?" The doctor had opened her chart and started taking notes once again.

"Umm...I feel ok. I'm very tired, but other than that...I'm fine." Bella looked at Edward, who was smiling as she spoke. "Oh, and I am hungry. Really hungry."

Edward was ecstatic that she was, and was even happier that she was hungry. He jumped up, ready to run out and get her whatever she wanted.

"I'm glad that you're hungry Ms, Swan, but for right now, I'd like you to stick with some fluids." Bella huffed at this news. She was really hungry! "Other than hungry, how are you feeling? Any dizziness, nausea?"

"No, just hungry. Why can't I eat?" Edward watched as Bella folded her arms over her chest in a show of defiance.

"Ms. Swan-"the doctor began.

"Bella. My name is Bella," she mumbled at them. She was not happy that she wasn't allowed to eat.

"Bella, you've been resting for over 4 hours. We just don't want to overload your system. Being sick would just take more energy than you have at the moment." Edward decided that it made sense, so he didn't argue.

"Four hours? What the hell?" Bella's eyebrows reached high as she gasped. "If I've been asleep for four hours, why the hell am I still so tired?"

Edward held her hand in his and brought it up to his lips for a gentle kiss.

"Bella, did you get any sleep last night?" He saw a flicker of emotion in her eyes and knew that she slept as little as he did.

"No," she whispered. "I didn't. I sat on the other side of my apartment door and listened to you." Tears had begun to slide down her face.

"Please love, don't think anymore about it." He moved to sit beside Bella on the bed. She immediately made room for him and leaned against his strong chest. "We're okay. We're going to work everything out."

"Really Edward? We're going to be okay?" Bella didn't dare to hope. They were both strong willed, stubborn individuals.

"Of course we are Baby. Remember...you're it for me. No one else." Edward leaned down and pecked her lips with his. "We had a fight." Bella rolled her eyes at him. "Alright, it was one hell of a fight, but we're still here and we're stronger for it."

The doctor and nurse, although they wanted to give the couple more privacy, had a job to do.

"Ms. Swan, we need to take a blood sample. We need to make sure you aren't anemic. We also want to check your blood pressure. It was up just a tiny bit." She smiled at the young couple in front of her. "But after what I've heard, you have had a rough couple of days."

Bella sat through the blood work with her face buried in Edward's chest, squeezing his hand for all she was worth. After the blood work was sent off, she had her blood pressure taken and just as a precaution, another sonogram was set up for the following day; meaning she was a resident of the hospital overnight.

As Bella settled in for the night, Edward pulled the lumpy recliner as close as he could to her bed. They held hands while lying on their sides, and discussed everything they'd found out about the delivery of the flowers. Someone knew where Bella lived. She'd moved after she and Jake finalized their divorce, but he'd already moved out of the city. He had no idea where she had moved to. The police told Edward that someone must have followed her.

They were discussing their options, when the door opened revealing a distraught Charlie Swan.

"Bella, thank GOD you're ok."

**And...Charlie is back in the story. What is everyone thinking? I may be able to get another chapter out in the next day or so. Leave me some love..and I'll leave some more words ;)**


	18. Chapter 17

**AN: You're eyes aren't deceiving you. It's yet ANOTHER chapter. I was SO blown away by the response from the last three that I had to continue.**

**Thank you so SO much to bethviolet. Without her, I would not be continuing this story. I was lost, and she helped me by letting me bounce ideas around and kept me on track. **

**I have a great idea….we can all reward her by reading her story, "I'll Mend Your Heart", I absolutely LOVE it! Her Edward is amazing! If you're not reading it…you are definitely missing out!**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING...except my Costco movie voucher to buy my ticket for Breaking Dawn Part II! Show of hands…who's all going to the marathon? They have one in my neck of the woods ….**

Charlie and Edward walked down to the cafeteria as Bella was resting. They had asked a security guard to stand watch at her door, since the police agreed that Bella has a stalker.

"Edward, I don't want Bella in her apartment. It's not safe." Charlie didn't mince words. "We have to move her."

"Charlie…you know she's gonna lose her shit." Edward knew this. Bella was so proud of her new apartment. She got rid of anything and everything that had reminded her of Jacob. They had even picked out a few pieces together.

"Edward, if this is Jacob, he's not going to let up. I know this." Charlie took a swig of the strong coffee and grimaced at the taste.

"How do you know this Charlie?" Edward was worried about his answer. "What do you know that I don't?"

"Edward, before I left Chicago the last time I was here, I…uhhh….paid Jacob a visit." Edward watched as Charlie's cheeks turned a bit red. Rubbing his hand roughly over his face, Bella's father recounted exactly what happened between him and "The Douche"

"Edward, I told him if he didn't stay away from Bella, it would be much worse. If this is Jacob Black stalking Bella, it's going to get nasty…fast." Charlie looked up at Edward through his lashes. "I have to say…I'm scared. I'm scared for my little girl."

"Charlie, I won't let anything happen to her. Together we can convince her to move into a different area. Hell, I'll even move her in with me if it would keep her safe. I mean she's already having…." Edward trailed off as Charlie regarded him curiously.

"Already having "what" Edward?" Charlie had a feeling something else was going on.

"Uhhh…Charlie, maybe Bella and I should talk to you about this together." Edward hated to bring Bella into everything, but he wasn't sure how Charlie was going to take the news. As well, he wasn't sure how Bella would take it if he told Charlie without her. He wasn't going to let his mouth get ahead of his brain again.

"Alright Edward," Charlie stood up, tossing his cup in the trash can. "Let's go talk to Bella. I know something else is going on."

Edward rubbed the back of his neck roughly while following his girlfriend's father to the elevator.

As they got closer to Bella's room, they noticed the guard was absent and the door was almost closed. Bella's voice carried out into the hallway and judging solely by the tone, they knew who was in there with her.

"What do you mean; it's not my baby Bella?" Jacob's voice was slurred. "Of course you're carrying my baby! We were married. You were intimate with me for years."

Edward went to step into the room, only to be held back by Charlie. He put his finger up to his lips, indicating that they should be quiet and listen. Alerting the nurses' station that there was something amiss, they watched the scene unfold through the crack in the door.

"Jacob, we weren't intimate for months before I found out about your…"indiscretions"." Edward had to cover his mouth to stop the snicker threatening to escape; she was using air quotes.

"What the hell are you talking about you stupid-" Jacob snarled out, only to be cut off by a severely pissed off Bella.

"Stupid? Stupid? Are you fucking kidding me? You fucked half of the female staff you worked with, charged up your credit card over its limit, lied to your WIFE for months, and I'M the stupid one?" Bella was getting louder with every word that left her mouth.

"You have some nerve you…you…douche!" Bella tried to stand up, but she was still so tired. That didn't stop her from ripping Jacob a new one though. "You are NOT the father of my child Jacob Black! Edward Cullen is! I am only THREE weeks pregnant!" Her hands were flying around her face as she shouted.

Charlie and Edward continued to watch as Bella raked Jacob's ass over the coals.

'_Jesus, she's gorgeous when she's pissed.' _ Edward had a hard time controlling his thoughts. He shifted his stance and rubbed his hands over his face, as Charlie bumped his shoulder. Motioning with his head, they watched as the security guard walked back towards Bella's room, a sheepish expression on his face.

At that moment, Bella's voice caught both of their attention.

"Just how did you know I was pregnant, and how did you know I was in the hospital Jacob?"

That was the question that plagued both Edward and Charlie. How DID Jacob Black know?

"Ummm…well…I got some news from…a…friend, and I came as soon as I heard. I want to be here for you Bella." The men in the hallway watched as Jacob took a step towards Bella. She tried to move, but she was trapped. "I want to be here for our little one. I miss you. I still love you. Didn't you get my flowers?"

That was all Charlie needed to hear. He barged into Bella's room and glared at Jacob Black. Edward followed close on his heels and sat as close as he could next to Bella on her bed.

"So, Jacob…" Charlie pulled out his cell phone and tossed it to Edward. "You admit to stalking my daughter? After I warned you to stay the hell away from her?" Edward caught the phone and dialed Sergeant Amun's direct number. He kept an eye on Bella as he told him of the situation.

Once the officer reassured him that he was indeed on his way to the hospital, Edward ended the call and wrapped his arms around Bella. For all her bravado while she was alone, she was a shaking mess now.

"Stalking her? Since when is it stalking to send flowers to one's WIFE?" Jacob smirked at Charlie and then glared at Edward.

"EX-wife, you stupid moron!" Bella's muffled shout came from Edward's chest. She had no desire to see Jacob ever again.

"You'll always be my wife Bella, and I'm going to fight for my child! You can't stop me!"

"You bet your drunken ass we can Black!" Charlie was on his feet and in Jacob's face faster than Edward could blink.

The security guard, finally noticing that something was definitely wrong, stepped in between the two men.

"Alright Sir," he addressed Jacob. "You have to leave. Now." He wrapped his big fist around Jacob's arm and started to pull him away, but Charlie had other ideas.

"He's not going anywhere! He just admitted to a room full of people to stalking my daughter!" The security guard looked stunned. He figured that if he wanted to keep his job, he'd better step up and take care of business.

"I did no such thing! I bought my wife flowers and had them delivered! That's not a crime!" As Jacob fought against the grip the security guard had on him, the door to Bella's hospital room opened and in sauntered in Sergeant Amun.

"Well, what seems to be going on?" The officer took in the situation around him, assessing all parties involved. Bella was cowering on the bed, clutching onto the front of Edward's shirt, hiding her face. Edward seemed to have a death grip on the young woman in his arms, glaring at the tall, dark haired man being held by the security guard. All the while, shushing and trying to calm his girlfriend.

The security guard looked stunned, as if he couldn't believe that this was happening during his shift. The scruffy, rusty skinned man looked like he was half cut, swaying even as he was being held by the guard.

The last man Sergeant Amun studied was the older gentleman standing in front of Bella. There was no mistaking that he was her father. They shared the same hair and eye color.

The first one to speak was the detained man.

"I'll tell you "what's going on"," he began shouting right away. "These fuckers won't allow me to see my wife!" Jacob was pointing in the direction of Charlie Swan. "She's pregnant with my fucking child and they're keeping me from her!"

"It's not your baby Jacob Black!" Bella shouted, finally bringing her head up and meeting Jacob's eyes. "We've been divorced for almost six months and we were not intimate for months prior to that! Do I fucking LOOK like I'm 8 months pregnant?!" She was still shouting. Then she all of a sudden buried her face in Edward's shirt front again, holding on to him tighter.

The men distinctly heard the word "idiot" mumbled under her breath.

"Mr. Black, I think you'd better come with me. We have some details we need to discuss." Sergeant Amun motioned for two uniformed officers to enter the room and escort him out.

"Bring him to the station while I finish things up here." With that, he turned toward the security guard and cocking his head to the side, he asked the question that both Edward and Charlie were wondering.

"Sir, why was this room left unguarded?"

The security guard gulped in response.

**EN: So….thoughts? **


	19. Chapter 18

**AN: Many of you may try to string me up here. I'm sorry to have left you hanging for so long. I could give you any number of excuses, but I won't. Instead I'll give you another chapter. Thanks once again to bethviolet for her unwavering support.**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own the characters. I just tell them what to do once in a while.**

Jacob lay on the hard cot in the small room in the county lock up. He had no recollection of how he got there. His head was pounding, his mouth was like the Sahara Desert, and all he could smell was piss.

'_What the fuck happened last night?' _

Sitting up was almost impossible with his pounding head, but he was able to inch himself up slowly. Looking around the room, he saw 2 other men sleeping and a silver toilet behind a half wall.

'_What the fuck? The last thing I remember was Tanya picking me up at Kate's apartment. She said we were going dancing and...'_

His inner monologue was cut off by a loud clanging sound that had Jake grabbing at his head to cover his ears.

"Mr. Black, how nice of you to join the land of the living!" A loud voice yelled into the small room.

'_I don't want to call it a cell. I'm not a criminal.'_

"I don't..." Jake tried to speak with his cotton mouth. Again, nearly impossible, but he cleared his throat and tried again.

"I don't understand what I'm doing here." His voice was barely above a whisper. He didn't want his head to pound anymore.

The cop opened the door and walked over to him, and reached down to get Jake to his feet. He could hardly stand up. Knowing not to touch the officer, Jake tried as hard as he could to keep himself upright.

He was led into another room, this one with a large mirror in it. Jake wasn't a stupid man, he knew it was a one way mirror. The only thing he couldn't figure out was why he was there to begin with.

'_I wonder if they'll give me a cup of coffee and an Aleve.' _Jake thought as he was sat in a chair on one side. He chanced a look at the officer as he was leaving the room, but nothing was said; he didn't even look back at Jake.

The wait was the worst. They left him sitting in that silent room for 45 minutes. Jake hadn't had his morning piss, he desperately needed a coffee and his head still felt like it was splitting open. He didn't move from his chair; he just sat and tried to figure out what was going on. He had gotten a call from Tanya the night before, asking if he wanted to go out dancing. He agreed because Kate, his "girlfriend" was working and he was bored. Jake remembered thinking that maybe, if he was lucky, Tanya would hook him up with some alcohol and pot, and maybe even have a little fun.

She took him to a seedy little bar, and she'd ordered a dirty martini, and for him he'd asked for a beer. After that, things got a bit strange. They were talking about his Bella and Cullen and how things were going. Jake had no idea that she even knew Bella. He knew that Tanya knew Cullen because of their previous working relationship, but he didn't think they were the best of friends.

Tanya droned on and on about how noble Cullen was, considering Bella's "condition". Jake remembered then that Tanya had told him that Bella was pregnant and that Cullen was stepping up to the plate and taking care of Bella in her "time of need". She said that Cullen agreed to adopt Bella's child even though he wasn't the father. Bella hadn't been with Cullen long enough to be "that pregnant", according to Tanya.

She also explained that Bella needed him and that she was going to take him to her. She paid for his drinks and they left the bar. He couldn't remember much from that point. He remembered yelling, but that was about it. The next thing he remembered was waking up in the lock up.

Jake sat bolt upright in his chair and looked around. He needed to find out what was going on.

'_Am I going to be a father?' _Jake was shocked to find that he was looking forward to it.

'_How far along is Bella? Is it a boy or a girl?' _He couldn't help but smile at the thought of holding his child. He knew he was a fuck up, but maybe with this...Bella would take him back. She had been the best thing to ever happen to him after all.

As Jake was lost in his thoughts, Sergeant Amun watched from the other side of the window. At first, Jacob Black had looked confused, and honestly, he looked like shit. He looked like he'd partied too hard, and needed a good night's rest. As the time went on, he could tell the younger man was deep in thought, as if trying to figure out what the hell he was doing here.

After a half hour, he watched as Black sat up quickly and looked around. He started to fidget and run his hands through his short hair. As his leg bounced, his fingers tapped on the table, and a slow smile spread across his face. Amun cocked his head to the side as he tried to figure out the look on his face. It wasn't a malicious smile; it was a smile of pure joy.

Having seen enough, he tucked a file folder under his arm, grabbed a glass of water and a cup of coffee and walked towards the door. The officer standing outside the interrogation room opened the door for Sergeant Amun, closing it quietly behind him.

Jake raised his head and looked at the new man in the room. He was obviously in charge here.

'_Maybe he can help me figure things out.'_ Jake wanted to get this over with and get to Bella's office. He needed to speak with her right away.

"Sir, if you could-"Jake started, but was cut off.

"Mr. Black, I have some questions for you." Amun passed the young man the glass of water as he sat down. He sipped his coffee, as Black thanked him for the water and downed it in one long drink. He nodded back at him as he watched.

Once the glass was empty, the officer outside returned and took the glass from the room, only to return in moments with it filled with water again. Once again, the glass was drained in moments.

"Thank you Sir," Jacob replied as the glass was once again taken from him. "I don't need any more."

"Very well Mr. Black. As I already said, I have some questions for you." Jacob watched as the officer pulled the file folder closer to him and opened it. Inside was a picture of Bella, a couple of cards, and quite a few pages. He wondered what those were about.

"Certainly officer, I have nothing to hide." Jacob wanted this over with as soon as possible. He had things to take care of.

"My name is Sergeant Amun, and I am taking care of a case involving Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen."

Amun watched as Jacob flinched. He'd left the file open to Ms. Swan's photo and watched the reaction from the man across from him.

"She-she took back her maiden name?" Jacob hung his head in shame. "Not that I blame her."

"Mr. Black, can you tell me why you were in Ms. Swan's hospital room last night?" Again, he asked his question point blank so he could gauge the man's reaction.

"Hospital? Is Bella all right? What happened? Is it the baby? Did something happen to the baby?" Jacob's voice was rising with each question. "Please...tell me if my child is alright!?"

Jacob Black's reaction was exactly what was expected, as well as a bit confusing.

"Mr. Black, how did you find out that Ms. Swan was pregnant?"

Jacob spoke like he didn't hear the question. All he wanted was his family.

"I can't allow Edward Cullen to say he is the father of MY child." Jacob's voice once again rose in volume.

"Mr. Black, I'll have to ask you to keep your voice down. There is no need to shout." Amun looked Jacob in the eye and asked again.

"How did you know that Ms. Swan is pregnant?"

Jacob took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He told Sergeant Amun everything he wanted to know. He told him that Tanya Denali had picked him up the night before for a date, and that they went to a bar on the other side of town. He did not know the name.

He told him what he ordered, and how Tanya had told him that Bella was trying to pass Edward Cullen off as the father of her unborn child, when in fact it was Jacob Black's child.

As Amun took notes, he watched Jacob closely. He could not see any insincerity in the man's eyes. He prided himself on knowing if someone was lying or not. Of course, this was not saying that he hadn't met some very adept liars in his years on the police force.

"Mr. Black, you say that you just found out last night that Ms. Swan is pregnant," Amun watched Jacob again as his head bobbed up and down in a positive response. "Then how do you explain the flowers you had picked up by Kathryn Hunter two days ago for Ms. Swan?"

Jacob's head reared back in shock.

"I...I...I didn't have any flowers picked up. Yes I'm dating Kate, but..." Jake scratched his head. "I'm so confused. I had no idea until last night."

Sergeant Amun wrote more information down before passing the cards from the flowers to Black.

"There were two bouquets of flowers delivered to Ms. Swan. One at her home and one to her office."

Jake reached forward for the cards and read them.

"Sir, this is not my writing. I did not send these." Jacob handed them back to Amun and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"Alright, Mr. Black, another question. Actually, it's my first question. I'll repeat it. Why did you go to Ms. Swan's hospital room last night?"

"I told you already that I don't remember going to the hospital. I remember Tanya telling me that Bella needed me, and that she was going to take me to her. That's it! That's all I remember!"

"Tanya Denali brought you to the hospital?" Amun confirmed. "Are you sure Mr. Black?"

Jacob had finally reached the end of his rope. He needed to get out of here and find Bella.

"I've told you everything I know. Yes, I was with Tanya Denali last night. Yes, she told me that Bella was pregnant. Yes, she told me that Bella needed me. Yes, I've been dating Kate and staying at her apartment. Yes, yes, YES!"

With that, Jacob's hand slammed down on the table in frustration. Sergeant Amun didn't so much as twitch an eyebrow in his direction.

"Mr. Black, how long have you been divorced from Ms. Swan?" Amun needed him to think about his answers. There was something not quite right here.

"Bella and I divorced six months ago." Jacob replied with a sigh, his chin down to his chest, his hands folded in front of him resting on the table.

"And how long before you even separated were you intimate?" Amun asked, his eyes always watching, learning.

Jacob winced at this question. He had been a douche while he and Bella were married.

He'd felt like a failure, working his ass off in the mail room while his wife received promotions and raises.

Jake had gone to her work functions and listened like a dutiful husband about his charming wife's achievements, while he got shit on by Cullen and his family.

He'd slept with all the women who wanted Cullen as a way to get back at him. He had them first. JACOB BLACK, not Edward fucking Cullen.

Edward Cullen could have HIS sloppy seconds. He'd finally beaten him. He finally took something before Cullen got his hands on it.

Jake had taken the one good part of his life; his wife, and thrown her away. She had been the only part of his life that had made any sense.

Admittedly, when Tanya first approached him about breaking up Bella and Cullen up, he was all for it. He'd been desperate. But once she told him that Bella was pregnant, Jacob had vowed to change his ways and to be the man that Bella always deserved. The "old" Jacob Black was dead. His child deserved better.

Amun watched as Jacob Black's brows drew into a hard line and his eyes grew cold.

"Mr. Black?"

Jacob raised his head and looked into the eyes of the officer sitting in front of him.

"Bella and I hadn't "been intimate", Jake said, using air quotes, "for two months prior to our separation." His hands were curling into tight fists on the table.

"Mr. Black, how far along do you think Bella is?" The quiet question rang through the silent room. Jacob glared at the table top, his gaze so heated he was surprised it didn't melt the solid metal.

"Bella isn't the type of woman to jump into bed with someone so soon. There is no way that child isn't mine."

Jacob was starting to get mad.

'_What the fuck is going on? Who do these people think they are?' _He was fuming.

"Mr. Black," Amun stated quietly but firmly, "Jacob, Ms. Swan is only three weeks pregnant." He watched as Jacob Black's snapped up, his eyes blazing, teeth bared.

"There is NO way she is only three weeks pregnant!" Jacob jumped to his feet and the door flew open to allow the officer outside entrance. "Tanya told me that Bella and Cullen weren't together long enough for Bella to be that pregnant! Stop lying!"

Jacob made to move around the table, but the officer stood in between him and Amun.

"How much is Cullen paying you to lie to me like this?" Jacob was furious. "Where is Bella? Where is she? I want to see her!"

Sergeant Amun stood up slowly sliding the file folder closer to him.

"Mr. Black, please sit back down. We are not finished here." He watched as Black stepped back from the officer with a sneer and sat back down.

"If you cannot control yourself, I will have no choice but to detain you." Amun made his way to the door, the officer standing behind him slowly walking backwards so as to keep his eye on the man sitting at the table.

At the door, Amun turned around and cleared his throat to get Jacob's attention. Once their eyes met, he started speaking again.

"Mr. Black, there is someone here to speak to you. You will keep a civil tongue in your head or I will not hesitate to throw you back in the lock up. Do I make myself clear?" Amun made sure to keep eye contact while speaking.

"Yes." Jacob muttered, wondering when this was ever going to end.

Amun opened the door slowly and let himself out. As the door closed, Jacob could hear a murmured argument on the other side. He couldn't make out what was being said, but someone was clearly not happy.

He sat there in the quiet room thinking about what needed to be done when the door slowly opened. He raised his eyes again to see Sergeant Amun standing in the doorway.

"Remember what I said Mr. Black. You will keep a civil tongue and remain seated. If not, back to the lock up." Jacob noted that he was practically glaring at him. He quickly agreed and leaned to the side trying to see who was coming in to the room. His breath caught in his throat when he heard her.

"Hello Jacob."

'_Bella!'_

**AN...Is Jacob redeeming himself? What do you think? **

**This chapter was difficult to write. The flow wasn't right for me. I tore it apart a few times. I understand if I've lost readers...although it makes me sad. Please send me a review and let me know what you think.**


	20. Chapter 19

**WOW! Your reviews blew me away! A LOT of you hate Jacob, and say he is beyond redemption. I agree. Bella will not be forgiving him. She wants him out of her life. I just want the Jacob issue closed. I know in previous chapters that I said Jake was gone...but...he just wouldn't listen. He's an attention whore hahaha. **

**Many MANY thanks go out to bethviolet, without whom this chapter would be one stinking pile of crap! Thank you SO much!**

**That being said...on with the next chapter **

As Sergeant Amun questioned Jacob, Bella watched from the other room along with Edward and her father, Charlie. When she first saw him through the one way mirror, Bella was shocked.

'_Jake looks like shit!' _

It's sad that it was the first thing that came to her mind. Jake had always been proud of his appearance. The best clothes, a hair cut ever 5 weeks; his teeth were always a sparkling white. However, the man at the table looked as though he'd aged overnight. Jake had gained weight, specifically around his middle, his clothes appeared as if he'd worn them repeatedly without washing them, and his teeth looked yellow and stained.

Judging from the smell that had permeated her hospital room last night, Jacob Black had given up.

As they listened to what Jake was saying, Edward and Charlie became more worried. It was clear that Tanya was the brains of the operation. She told Jake that Bella's baby was his, trying to open the way for her to get to Edward. Didn't she understand that Bella would correct him? It was clear that Bella was newly pregnant.

Bella turned to Edward and took his hand. She squeezed lightly and waited for his gaze to move from the mirror to her.

"Edward," Bella whispered. "I'm going to have to go talk to him."

Bella braced herself for what she knew was coming.

"Absol-fucking-lutely NOT!"

Edward and Bella both swung around to see Charlie Swan glaring at Bella.

"Bella, this man cheated on you, stalked you, entered your hospital room uninvited. We have no idea what is going through his head!" Charlie folded his arms across his broad chest. "No! Just...no." He started shaking his head back and forth in denial. There was no way that Charlie would allow his only daughter in that room.

Edward looked at Charlie, feeling the exact same way. He turned to look at Bella as well.

"Bella, please, think about this." Edward was scared shitless. He had no idea what the man was capable of, and he didn't want to put Bella out there to find out.

"Edward, I need to do this. I have to find out what is going on." Bella reached out and took Edward's hand in hers. Bringing it up to her lips, she looked Edward in the eye; she could see his fear.

"Bella, baby," Edward whispered as he pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her, leaving his other hand in hers. "Love, please. We don't know what he is involved in. Please think of our baby. Our family."

Edward knew, as soon as the word "family" left his mouth, that he'd lost the fight. She was going to talk to Black.

"I have to know Edward. Please. I know I'm protected." She let go of his hand to wrap her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.

"I'm in the middle of a police station, what could possibly happen?"

And with that, Bella reached up and lightly kissed his lips, and backed up quickly. Without another word, she was out the door and standing with Sergeant Amun.

She could hear Jacob's voice in the room, and knew that she had to be strong and keep her voice steady. She could not show her fear.

Edward and Charlie watched as their reason for existing entered a room where the man who tried to destroy her sat. They were both ready to run to her aide if necessary.

"Bella!" Jake tried to jump to his feet only to hear the officers scuffle and clear their throats. He sat back down slowly.

"Jacob," Bella said in a firm tone of voice. "Can you now see that I am not eight months pregnant?" She knew that the only way to get him to leave them alone was to show him.

"But," Jacob looked puzzled. "Tanya said...that you were..." He looked back up at Bella.

"You must have given birth last night. That is the only explanation. He sat back and crossed his arms in satisfaction. There was no way that Bella would lie about this.

"Jacob," Bella whispered. "Jake, I am three WEEKS pregnant. Edward is the father. She lied to you." She reached down to grab her purse to search for the ultrasound photo. Finding what she was looking for, she slid it across the table.

Jacob reached out a shaking hand for the piece of paper that held his life. Bella could see his eyes jumping all over it, trying to take in as much as he could.

"Do you see the top right hand corner Jake?" She didn't want to reach across just in case he made a grab for her hand. "The date. Look at the date."

She could see the exact moment when it all clicked for him. His eyes became clouded and they brimmed with tears. As tears slid down his face, he looked up into Bella's eyes.

"I don't understand." He raised his big hand to wipe the tears from his face.

Bella didn't want to feel sorry for her ex-husband. He'd treated her horribly. He cheated on her; yelled at her; tried to ruin her financially, but there was no way she could keep a single tear from slipping down her face. Jacob Black looked absolutely devastated.

"Jake, you were lied to. She manipulated you, so she could try to get closer to Edward." Bella looked him in the eye so there was no way he could think she was lying to him.

"Please Jake," Bella took the chance at reaching her hand out to the heart broken man across from her. He grabbed it like it was his life line.

"Please, if you know anything else. Please co-operate with the police." She pulled her hand back and placed both on her still flat tummy. "I'm scared. I'm scared she's going to try to harm us."

Jacob's eyes had followed her hands and with that small movement, he realized he had to do all he could to make her feel as safe as possible.

"Tanya," he paused to clear his throat. "She told me that you were pregnant and that there was no way that Cull-Edward could be the father." He looked back down at the paper in his hand.

"All I know for sure is that I was only told you were pregnant yesterday. We went to Club Volturi and had a drink. That's all I remember having. One drink."

Charlie and Edward watched as Jacob reached his hand up to his head and grasped at his hair. They could see the sadness and sorrow seeping from the broken man.

"Jake," Bella spoke louder now. "Is there any way you could have been drugged?" Jacob's head snapped up as he looked back and forth from Bella and Sergeant Amun.

"You don't really think..." but the longer Jake thought about it, the more plausible it was. He couldn't remember leaving the bar let alone talking to Bella at the hospital.

As he sat there staring off into space, he started having random flashes of memory from the previous night.

"Umm...We got into a cab, and drove somewhere. I don't remember much." Jacob rubbed his forehead as if to call the images to the front of his mind.

"We got out of the cab, and Tanya took off ahead of me. I remember leaning against a wall for a while and then Tanya came back." He was struggling now. His tone of voice was strained and his eyes were clenched shut.

"She came back and told me to wait until a man walked away, and I watched her walk towards him."

Bella's eyes widened as she realized that Tanya had in fact lured the guard away. Her breathing started to quicken and she grabbed at her chest as if to loosen her jacket.

Sergeant Amun had been taking notes while the two people conversed, and rose quickly to help the young woman.

"I...I can't...I can't breathe!" Bella had spots in her vision. She had to get out of that room. She felt as though the walls were closing in on her.

"Edward!"

Sergeant Amun lifted Bella into his arms and had the officer open the door. Edward was on the other side, reaching for the door knob.

Once they were out of the room, Edward took her back into the observation room and sat down with Bella in his lap. Charlie ran out to get a glass of water, and Edward tried to remove her jacket.

"Edward, would she really harm us?" Bella was able to breathe easier now that she was with Edward. Charlie was back with a pitcher of water and handed her a full glass.

Bella didn't stop drinking until the glass was empty and she held it out for a refill.

Edward didn't know what to say. He didn't think Tanya was dangerous, but now he wasn't so sure. What would they do?

Sergeant Amun kneeled down in front of Bella and held her hand.

"We will do all we can to keep you safe Bella. Our next step is to bring Ms. Denali in for questioning. As well as Kathryn Hunter, since she bought the flowers that were delivered to you."

Charlie finally spoke up.

"I'd also like for you to get a hold of the video from the hospital so we can confirm that it was Tanya who led the guard away." His mind was working overtime. He felt like there was something missing.

"Also, I'm going to call the hospital about that guard. He knew he shouldn't have left his post."

Charlie went off with Sergeant Amun as Edward held Bella close to him. There was no way Edward would let Tanya near her. He would guard her with his life.

She watched as Jake left the police station a little while later. It was risky to be seen here, but she knew she had to keep a closer watch on him. She wouldn't allow him to mess up her plans any further.

**So...leave me some love and let me know what you think?**


	21. Chapter 20

Hi everyone! It's me! I've returned! I can't express how sorry I am that I haven't updated in so long. Real life has been a handful, and as many know, your craft suffers when your heart and mind aren't in it.

I want to thank Bethviolet for helping me with this chapter. Without her, I would have torn it apart and started again. Seriously…thank her! She's amazing!

I see this story wrapping up in the next 4 or 5 chapters…including an epilogue.

Now…I think you all know that I own nothing. Stephanie Meyers owns it…I just like the characters to dance to my tune for a while

Chapter 20

Edward watched as Bella slept in their bed. He'd been sleeping less and less since leaving the police station a week ago. Jake, it seemed had fallen off the radar, and Tanya was nowhere to be found. The police had found Kate, but she was of little help to them other than to say that she'd been asked by Jake to bring flowers to Bella.

Everything in the case was at a standstill until Tanya was found. One big change though was that Charlie had left shortly after their visit to the police station and upon returning home, he handed in his resignation at the police station. He was due back in Chicago in a week, and Bella and Edward were rushing trying to set up his new apartment only a block away from them. As Bella slept, Edward remembered the conversation he had with Charlie before he left.

'_I don't like this Edward,' Charlie paced their living room which he vented. 'We're missing something!' He sat down hard into an overstuffed chair; Bella's favorite._

'_I feel the same way Charlie, but until Tanya's found, there's nothing else we can do.' Edward hated feeling helpless. His family had given him a leave of absence from the law firm and now that Jasper had passed the bar, he was able to take over a few of Edward's smaller cases. He hadn't left Bella's side since._

'_There's more going on with this Kathryn Hunter than we've been lead to believe. I know it.' Being a cop for over 20 years makes following your instincts easy. _

'_She is hiding something Edward.' Charlie was frantic. He couldn't allow anything to happen to his baby girl. 'I can't leave her.'_

'_Charlie, what's holding you in Forks? Your only family is here in Chicago, and soon she will be expanding her first child. Do you only want to see your daughter and grandchild on special occasions?' Edward knew that this could blow up in his face, but he felt that Bella needed her father here, not thousands of miles away._

'_I've been thinking about moving closer Edward. I want to be able to see you and Bella and my grandchildren whenever I want.' Edward smiled at the plural term "grandchildren". 'I also want to be involved in this case. I know that Sergeant Amun is doing all he can, but maybe I can help somewhat.' Charlie needed to feel useful. _

'_I know Bella would be ecstatic if you moved closer Charlie.' Edward jumped up excited. _

"_We can surprise her! She needs some good news!" Charlie laughed out at the younger man's exuberance. He knew that Edward would do anything for Bella. Just the way it should be. _

_The next couple of days, Edward and Charlie were going through rental listings in their area while Bella tried to relax and do a bit of work. She was very lucky that her employer allowed her to work from home. Before Charlie was due to leave, they had found him an apartment on the 2__nd__ floor of a security locked building, and then sat Bella down to tell her. _

_To say that she was happy was a major understatement. She was absolutely thrilled! She immediately drug both Charlie and Edward out to find new furniture for her father's new place. When they got back home, they had a new dining room set, living room furniture, a bedroom suite, which Charlie had never had before; just an old hand me down dresser and a bed. _

_While Charlie was home packing things up, Edward helped Bella find linens, and decorations and had someone come in to paint the place in fresh neutral colours. She lamented that maybe her father wanted to pick out things for himself, while Edward tried to relieve her stress by telling her that Charlie would love what she'd done. _

Bella moaned quietly and rolled over, bringing Edward back to the present. Today was a glucose test that needed to be completed followed by another appointment with the OBGYN. There wouldn't be another ultrasound until Bella was 20 weeks, unless there was a problem.

He wanted Bella to sleep as long as possible, but looking at the clock, he realized that it was time for her to wake up and get ready. He leaned over and lightly kissed a line up her neck until he reached her jaw. He raised his head and looked right into her beautiful brown eyes.

"Good morning my love." Edward smiled down at her as she blinked sleepily at him.

Clearing her throat, she whispered , "Good morning Edward." She started to lean up to get out of bed, but Edward had other ideas. He tilted his head down to kiss her softly on the mouth. She tried to beg off, stating morning breath, but Edward wouldn't hear of it. He kissed her until she pushed at his shoulders.

"Edward, I have to pee!" Bella was giggling as she tried to disentangle herself from him. Finally letting her go, Edward laughed as she darted to the bathroom and shut the door firmly.

He waited a few minutes for her to return, but when he heard the shower, he decided to start breakfast.

He had just started the scrambled eggs when he heard Bella scream. Dropping everything he ran to their bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom. He didn't know what he would find, but he knew he wasn't prepared to see his beautiful girlfriend sitting in the shower surrounded by red water.

"Baby," Edward whispered. "What's wrong? What's going on?"

Bella, holding her abdomen, lifted her tear stained face to his and whispered.

"It hurts. So much."

As Edward sat next to Bella in her room in labour and delivery, he said every prayer he could think of. Bella and their unborn child were his life. He didn't exist without her. He watched as they performed test after test on his girlfriend and held her hand, reassuring her that he would be there for her no matter the outcome.

After hours of waiting and hoping, it was deemed that while Bella was indeed under a lot of stress, the reason for her cramping and bleeding was a Urinary Tract Infection which can be extremely painful, whether your pregnant or not.

With a new medication, and an order from her obstetrician to rest as much as possible, Bella was released from the hospital. When they arrived home, they immediately saw the blinking light on the answering machine.

There were several hang ups, and they made note of the time and how long the person stayed on the line before hanging up. They also checked the caller ID on their phone and noticed that every call was made from a different number.

The last call was Bella's boss, and she sounded frantic.

'_Bella, I need you to call me immediately. There has been some confusion here with your work. I will be here until 5, but if you receive this message after 5, my cell number is 555-3569. It is imperative that you call me immediately!' _

With that, the call abruptly ended. Confused, Bella checked her cell phone, but there were no missed calls. She had left her cell number at the office in case of emergency, but she hadn't received any calls. This was very strange.

Sitting down, she dialed the number she was given. Jane, her boss, answered right away.

"Jane, I just got home from the hospital. What's wrong?" Bella couldn't imagine what was going on. Just last night she had submitted a novel she had finished editing and was just waiting for final approval to send it off for print. Edward got her a cup of tea while she was trying to get through, and sat next to her, holding her hand.

"Bella, you have been with this company for quite some time and you have always been a very bright, eager and meticulous editor. That being said, I don't understand why you haven't been turning in your manuscripts." Jane was babbling on incessantly while Bella tried to keep up. When she finally took a breath, Bella jumped in.

"Jane, I honestly don't know what you're talking about. I just sent a novel to you last night before bed. And just last week, I sent in one." Bella was concerned. She'd never missed a deadline.

"Bella, I have checked my email and have received nothing. I'm sorry, but until this is investigated, you're under suspension." Bella's heart both jumped into her throat and fell to her feet at her words.

"But Jane, I still have them saved on my hard drive and in my email. I always mark the date and time and-" But Bella got no further.

"Fine. Bring your lap top here tomorrow morning and we'll take a look. I know you're under a lot of stress with your personal life, but I'm afraid I can't have that overflow into your professional life. I have people I have to answer to." Jane was short with her for the first time since….ever really.

"I understand Jane, I'll be there first thing. 8 o'clock. I don't understand what's going on." Bella's heart was pounding as she tried to figure out what was happening. Her mind was running in a thousand different directions.

"I'll see you tomorrow Bella. I hope for your sake that there is something going on with our internal email system. I can tell you though that I have received manuscripts from the other editors." With that, Jane hung up.

Bella turned toward Edward with tears streaming down her face. She climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck while she sobbed.

Edward, having heard only Bella's half, was trying to piece together what was happening.

"Bella, baby, what's going on?" He continued to rub her back soothingly as his other arm was wrapped tightly around her waist.

"My work…my….manuscripts," she babbled, barely making out the words. "They're not with Jane. Unless I can show my work from my lap top tomorrow, I'm suspended." This ended with another bout of tears.

Edward was shocked. Bella worked every day. She would eat and breathe literature. She was proud of her work. There must be some kind of mistake!

Bella jumped off of Edward's lap, surprising him, and ran for her laptop which sat in their joint office. She waited impatiently for it to power up and connect to the internet. First thing she noticed was that her "Work" folder wasn't on the desk top where it usually sat.

Opening "find" in her computer menu, she typed in the name of the latest manuscript. Nothing. The one before. Nothing.

Panicing, she opened her work email and logged in. Her inbox had requests from Jane but all of her file folders she normally filed each email under were gone. She checked her outgoing email box. Empty. Her deleted items folder. Empty.

Bella could barely breathe. Her last hope was that her back up email had something.

She logged into her personal email that she backed everything up into and prayed. Gone. It was all gone. Just as she was collapsing into her chair, she received an email from an unknown sender.

Her hands were shaking as Edward leaned over and opened it. Only one line was there.

'_I see you.'_

There was an attachment and Edward's hands too were shaking. As it loaded, he rubbed Bella's shoulders and hoped that it was just a prank from a kid, but his gut told him it wasn't.

Once it was loaded, they clicked on it and up popped a picture of Bella sitting at the computer looking through her email. It was from just minutes ago.

**AN: I'm not sure if a UTI can cause bleeding while pregnant, I just went with what I read on the internet. It's also been a long time since I had my children so I'm not sure when they do the glucose challenge lol. Thanks for reading and please….leave me some love.**


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